KUNST (NYC, 2022)
Co-curators: Matías Alvial, Xandra Beverlin & Jayson Thompson
“Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it.”
In 1937, the Nazi government staged Entartete Kunst ("Degenerate Art"), an art show meant to ridicule and decry Modernism's growing influence. The exhibition heavily featured works by Jewish artists as well as any art that was seen as subverting prevailing conservative, nationalist values. Entartete Kunst included works by now famous artists such as Pablo Picasso, Paul Klee, Piet Mondrian, Marc Chagall and Wassily Kandinsky. Ironically, the show became known as the the most successful exhibition of Modernist art in the 20th Century, garnering the attendance of over two million visitors, an average of 20,000 people per day.
Today, a newly-radical Supreme Court and Republican party have found popularity in an increasingly harmful form of social conservatism. Similar to how Entartete Kunst affirmed the "otherness" of Modernism, the Supreme Court's recent decisions have dehumanized different categories of individuals that threaten the supremacist status quo.
"Kunst" amplifies the voices and works of art that directly contradict the United States’ current political ideology of fear and harrowing replication of the past. The title borrows the word from the original flier for Entartete Kunst that sarcastically labeled Modern art as "art", and repurposes the word from one of mockery to one that celebrates art's counter-culture in a new era of marginalization.
Embracing the unconventional, "Kunst" is a far cry from a traditional gallery exhibition. The works displayed have been chosen not for their commercial appeal but at the discretion of the artists to provide the greatest benefit and coherence to the viewer. In deprioritizing market viability, "Kunst" transfers agency from an established wealthy collector base to artists and art enthusiasts. Indeed, this exhibition stands as a commentary and rebuke not only to traditionalist, conservative governmental powers but also to the powers that traditionally dictate the art market.
With a slate of over twenty works by emerging artists, "Kunst" truly juxtaposes the original "Degenerate Art" show of 1937. Showcasing photography, video, painting and sculpture, for a single night, Kunst transforms an empty penthouse apartment into a dynamic, communal enterprise.
Artists: Matías Alvial, Vincent Chen, Scott Csoke, Alec Dai, Carlos Darder, Jen de Luna, Natalia de Matos Oliani, Colin J Radcliffe, Naruki Kukita, SiiGii and Joey Solomon.
