The FLAG Art Foundation is pleased to present Re-Accession: For Sale by Owner, curated by Philae Knight and Amanda Steck, from June 23-September 1, 2009, on is 10th floor.
Inspired by the fact that economic downturns can empower artists to connect with their oeuvres in a new way, Re-Accession: For Sale by Owner includes a cross-section of emerging and more established New York-based artists who are either without New York gallery representation, or whose representation has been affected by the present environment. The show aims to break down the walls of who’s who by bringing together a diverse group of artists working in this new economy.
The exhibition begins with Devon Dikeou’s zeitgeist piece What’s Love Got to Do With It, featuring a selection of 19 black box announcements of group shows she has participated in from the period of the last downturn in the early 90s, with the addition of one newly made for Re-Accession. The black box is reminiscent of old Chelsea gallery signs; Dikeou has never been formally represented by a dealer in New York City. Other works in the show directly address the downturn, such as Matt Tackett’s We Finance Lottery Tickets, and Laura Gilbert’s The Zero Dollar, which she gave away free on Wall Street in the weeks after the stock market crashed in September 2008.
Our curatorial process is a reflection of the changing tide since the last recession. For this exhibition, we reviewed over 150 submissions via email, and conducted several studio visits in a very limited time – three weeks from submission to installation. The works are for sale directly through the owner, with The FLAG Art Foundation merely acting as the tipping point.
No matter what the art market claims or dictates, artists are resilient and rarely stymied by the conditions of established channels of art commerce, including gallery closures. Work still gets made, artists find new representation, and while struggle through these times is unquestionable for them, this show hopes to provide the public with a view towards the shifting climate of exposure and how audiences connect to the art world.
Featured Artists:
Conrad Bakker Jan Baracz David Baskin Dana Bell Erik Benson Rebecca Bird Sebastiaan Bremmer Christopher Brooks Frank Brunner Mary Carlson Jennifer Dalton Jay Davis Devon Dikeou Bill Durgin Yukari Edamitsu Laura Gilbert |
Tim Hailand David Hardy EJ Hauser Claire Jervert Ted Jessup Steven and William Ladd Dietrich Lafferty Andy Lane Oliver Michaels Paul Pagk Danica Phelps Anna Pietrzak Lisa Marie Schilling Matt Tackett Conrad Ventur |