Klaus Biesenbach, the chief curator at large of MoMA P.S.1, is profiled in The Wall Street Journal, discussing his approach to art. “In America, art is free, but it’s not understood as a viable, necessary function in society. Art is still thought of as something luxurious or elitist, but it’s not.”
Laurel Nakadate, Exorcism in January (2009). Via New York Times
But, is she exploitative? This has been the defining question of Laurel Nakadate’s roughly decade long, hotly discussed career. Nakadate is primarily known for her infamous early videos in which she invited herself into the homes of the single, middle-aged men that approached her in public, bringing her video camera and a scenario that tested the limits of the new relationship. In one Nakadate plays dead while the men play ‘doctor’ and in another they pretend it’s her birthday, singing and eating cake. Some venture further—one sees Nakadate and the participant play a stripping game, the artist taking off articles of clothing one by one, matched by a man in his 50s, moles covering his back. Nakadate’s work in-variously produces the same chain of reactions from critics: first, is this a safe practice? How did the artist know she would remain safe? The threat of violence is a common concern for the artist, which some argue lessens the effect of her work. After viewing one of Nakadate’s videos for a few minutes, it becomes clear the men she works with are docile. Then, the second question is almost always: is she laughing at them?
Only the Lonely, Installation view. Via P.S. 1
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