Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang
dal 6/7/2006 al 29/8/2006
Segnalato da
6/7/2006
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang
The Museum of New Art (MONA), Pontiac
Pairing former lovers Missy Wiggins & Billy Conklin for the first time in a public exhibition. It has been a year to the day since the London tube bombings. This show examines the after-shock of these events in our day-to-day lives, most personally the toll it took on their own romance.
Pairing former lovers Missy Wiggins & Billy Conklin for the first time in a
public exhibition
It has been a year to the day since the London tube bombings. British
artists Billy Conklin and Missy Wiggins don't want anyone to forget the fact.
Although they have split as lovers, the two have gotten together one last time for
the exhibition KISS KISS BANG BANG! to open July 7th at Detroit's Museum of
New Art (MONA).
This joint exhibition examines the after-shock of these events in our
day-to-day lives, most personally the toll it took on their own romance. The two
artists called it quits shortly after the attacks, as lovers and collaborators.
Since then Conklin's career has rocketed skyward, while Wiggin's has
wallowed despite allegations that Conklin plagiarized her work to build his separate
career - including a sex tape (to be screened at this exhibit).
Billy Conklin is England's most dubious contemporary artist. In 2004 after
his sculpture of an abused child, Hatrack, failed to auction at its $1.2m
reserve (now £686,000), ArtNow magazine put him at number four on a list of the
art world's VIPs. It was the highest ranking for any living artist.
The Croydon-born artist Missy Wiggins - best known for her disturbing
installations of art to be destroyed - said she had had an affair with Conklin
before he became famous and that she was the source for many of his ideas.
Still, Missy is willing to put all that aside for this tragic anniversary.
"I want this chance," she says with a quavering voice. "The chance to place my
art side by side with Billy's. And for the public to see how I've been
totally screwed by the bugger."
As for Billy, he shrugs off Wiggin's claims.
"We were all affected that day in London somehow," Conklin says. "The whole
nation I think. It’s been exactly a year now. And we’ve all become a part of
what happened then. To some degree or another. We’ve all become victims now.
And that's truly what this exhibition will expose."
THE SHOOTING OF JEAN CHARLES de MENEZES
A re-creation of the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes by police at the
Stockwell tube on July 22, 2005.
Opening reception: saturday, july 8th from 7 to 10pm
The Museum of New Art (MONA)
1249 Washington Boulevard 248 - Detroit
regular hours: 12-6pm Thursday through Saturday