New York
Gatherings of artists into annuals, biennials, and the like have become so common and so global that they now function, like the equally ubiquitous art fairs, as art shopping malls whose main purpose is spotting the latest fashion or the next big trend. Not one to be left off the bandwagon, the New Museum’s triennial boasted that its “predictive” model would present “the future of culture through the art of today.” An ambitious goal perhaps, and one that “Surround Audience,” organized by New Museum curator Lauren Cornell and the artist Ryan Trecartin and thoughtfully installed over five floors, seemed hesitant to embrace. Less about art stars or even the future than about the troubled present, this inclusive, at times provocative, and truly international exhibition of 51 artists and collectives from 25 countries argued for an engaged younger generation who merge art, life, and politics into a symbiotic whole. …see the entire review in the print version of October’s Sculpture magazine.
