Valentin Carron
dal 3/4/2006 al 3/5/2006
Segnalato da
Swiss Institute - Contemporary Art
3/4/2006
Valentin Carron
Swiss Institute - Old location, New York
The first New York solo show of the young Swiss artist who using diverse sculptural and structural forms as source material. She wrestles with the iconography of comfortable bourgeois art and society.
Decline, Elegance, Sway is the first New York solo show of young Swiss artist, Valentine Carron. Using diverse sculptural and structural forms as source material, Carron
wrestles with the iconography of comfortable bourgeois art and society. As Carron’s
sculptures aggressively confront each other - rendered in a manner ironically
faithful to their sources - monument and history are mocked, creating a sardonic
commentary on the collectively imagined mythology of Switzerland. Rough-hewn
supports for a rustic Swiss chalet, installed on the white walls of the S I gallery,
set the stage for a destabilizing mix of Carron’s work. Military canons and the
tenuous figures of Giacometti are reproduced life-sized, copied in industrial
materials. As the work vacillates between solemn and matter-of-fact to brutal and
irreverent, the gallery is completed by the offer of some unusual treats as well as
an unorthodox tour guide around the show.
Carron’s recent exhibitions include a recent solo show at Galerie Eva Presenhuber,
Zurich, and two-person shows with Mai-Thu Perret at The Chisenhale, London and
Centre d’Art Contemporaine, Geneva. Upcoming projects include Art Unlimited at
ArtBasel, 2006.
In the lounge, the S I is pleased to present the work of young Swiss photographer,
Fabian Marti. Riffing off Carron’s subtle ironies and critiques through his epic
statues, Marti picks on the genre of vanitas. Mortality and desire, at once richly
depicted in Marti’s project, are mocked as the iconography du jour is repeated and
degraded through his play with mass replication.
In the library, the S I presents the video piece, Meth Labs, by New York-based
artist Alex Hubbard. With a dry and exhaustive approach, Hubbard brings an absurd
meticulousness to his video documentary as he reports on classifications of the
U.S.’s Methamphetamine laboratories.
opening reception: Tues April 4 / 6 - 8 pm
Swiss Institute
495 Broadway 21- New York
Gallery Hours: tues-sat 11-6