Marian Goodman

Trouble at the front

14 Mar - 18 Apr 2009

© Yael Bartana
A declaration, 2006
TROUBLE AT THE FRONT

YAEL BARTANA, AMAR KANWAR, WILLIAM POPE.L

This exhibition will explore borders; real or imaginary, which we carry within us, shaping us despite ourselves.

Globalization might allow us to think that everything is of the same nature, where the borders have a tendency to disappear, however they are paradoxically reinforced and more present than ever.

The three artists each have an individual approach; ranging from documentary filmmaking and the witnessing of the truth, to the poetic construction of work rooted in the Israeli-Palestinian border dispute, and the imaginary dimension which questions politics.

Each one shows in their own way evidence of engagement; be it in the subject of the work or through their actions.

During this current time of global transformation, which sometimes gives rise to protectionist reactions, the work of these artists encourages us to question our limits; our borders in every sense of the word.

Yael Bartana is of Isreali origin and has approached the issue of the Israeli-Palestinian border in its real and symbolic dimension. It modulates, evokes and transforms situations as in the work Low Relief exhibited at the Centre Georges Pompidou in the exhibition Les Inquiets. In the work A Declaration, she speaks of the utopia of this land and the desires it arouses.

Emerging from the Indian sub continent, Amar Kanwar's films are complex, contemporary narratives that connect intimate personal spheres of existence to larger social political processes. The films exist at the crossroads of documentary, visual poetry and philosophical meditation; linking legends and ritual objects to new symbols and public events. Finding a contextual relationship with diverse audiences, Kanwar's work maps a journey of exploration revealing our relationship with the politics of power, violence, ecology, sexuality and justice.

William Pope.L’s work is related to political syntax, the effects of colonization and the difficulty of being an African American. He has explored social issues through a wide range of media including performance, sculpture and drawing. He speaks of his work as political pantomime.
 

Tags: Yael Bartana, Amar Kanwar, William Pope L., Pope.L, William Pope.L