Curated with Todd von Ammon, 100 Sculptures is as advertised: one hundred small sculptural artworks by one hundred different artists.
A typical curated exhibition is hierarchical. The curator uses various sorting mechanisms to assemble a purpose-driven assemblage of related objects. The group exhibition is a controlled experiment wherein specific objects are chosen and mixed to generate a novel end product, or emergent properties.
100 Sculptures, by contrast, is a meshwork. Using a 10 x 10 grid as the most simple schema for an extremely populous show, the objective is to create the most dynamic non-hierarchical system that is possible within the limited confines of a gallery space. By flattening the exhibition plane to one pedestal, the one hundred objects on view have the ability to interact with and decode one another freely. The exhibition begins to act like a circuit board, wherein each artwork behaves like an attractor in a network.
Through the use of media including casts, clothing, ceramic, found object, paper, bronze, concrete, aluminum, and many others, the works on view appear as plush, metallic, functional, mobile, automated, geometric, sensual, rhythmic, or even biologically subversive. Meanwhile the works conceptually range from spiritual and optimistic to dark, disarming, and uncanny. Each piece, despite its diminutive scale of no more than a 5x5 inch (12.7 x 12.7 cm) footprint, maintains its own singularity and pathos as displayed on one unified plane amongst many other similarly sized objects.
Sculpture, so prone to being pigeonholed as a conservative and hackneyed medium relative to new media, video and technology, is shown here at its maximum degree of variety and difference. Devoid of curatorial affect, the works on view assemble their own mutual logics and codes.
In celebration of ten years in business, the gallery was resolved to prepare a comprehensive exhibition fusing its ethos of past, present and future. Todd von Ammon assuredly presented the idea and Joseph affirmed the call to action. The artists exhibiting represent a majority of those with whom the curators have collaborated over the last decade. While no aesthetic parameters were given in anticipation of the show, one can detect (or assume) the mutual affinities between individual artists in this large, unorganized grouping. In this sense, 100 Sculptures can also be seen as two neural networks blended into one simple, deadpan grid. The gallery intends to travel the exhibition internationally for approximately 1 year following the premiere at anonymous gallery’s home in Mexico City. Further locations and dates will be announced.
PARTICIPATING ARTISTS:
Justin Adian, Alejandro Almanza, Andres Anza, Cory Arcangel, Donald Baechler, Alan Belcher, Benjamin Bertocci, Lizzi Bougatsos, Cristine Brache, Chris Bradley, Wendy Cabrera Rubio, Ernesto Caivano, Christian Camacho, Borden Capalino, Remy Cherry, Madeleine Cichy, Paloma Contreras Lomas, Chelsea Culprit, James Crosby, Carl D’Alvia, N.Dash, Débora Delmar, Vincent Dermody, Chris Dorland, Nick Doyle, Ryan Estep, Jes Fan, Leo Fitzpatrick, Gerasimos Floratos, Ryan Foerster, Erik Foss, ektor garcia, Dorian Gaudin, Martha Grover, Elias Hansen, Hilary Harnischfeger, Dan Herschlein, Stephanie Hier, Max Hooper Schneider, Matt Hoyt, Serban Ionescu, Ray Johnson, JPW3, Jacob Kassay, Sanam Khatibi, Leelee Kimmel, Elisabeth Kley, Ross Knight, Bradley Kronz, Shaun Krupa, Ajay Kurian, Margaret Lee, Kris Lemsalu, Hanna Liden, Erik Lindman, Nevine Mahmoud, Larry Mantello, Chavis Marmol, Yuri Masnyj, Eva and Franco Mattes, Suzanne Mcclelland, Donald Moffett, Hugo Montoya, MT Objects, Emily Mullin, Kubiat Nnamdie, Katja Novitskova, Dominic Nurre, Catalina Ouyang, Oso Parado, Kristin Reger, Carlos Reyes, Tabor Robak, Michael Ross, Marco Rountree, Davina Semo, Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Kostas Seremetis, Shelter Serra, Gibb Slife, Josh Smith, Agathe Snow, B.Thom Stevenson, Tarwuk, Josh Tonsfeldt, Lucia Vidales, Marianne Vitale, Todd von Ammon, Julia Wachtel, Darryl Westly, Michael Wetzel, Wendy White, Lizzie Wright, Thaddeus Wolfe, Claudia Franco.
ABOUT THE CURATORS:
Todd von Ammon is a gallerist, curator and writer based in New York City. Recent curated projects have included Botanica at Berggruen Gallery in San Francisco, Wormwood at Ellis King Gallery in Dublin, and VBS at The Helen Frankenthaler Gallery at Bennington College in Vermont. A concurrent curated project called PARADISE at The Westport Arts Center is currently on view and runs until 09 November. Todd is the director of Team Gallery in New York's Soho neighborhood and is a regular contributor to CURA Magazine. He is a member of Independent Curators International.
Joseph Ian Henrikson is the founder and director of anonymous gallery.