Liliana Porter: MEMORABILIA

September 15—November 3, 2018

Carrie Secrist Gallery is pleased to announce Memorabilia, an exhibition by gallery artist Liliana Porter opening Saturday, September 15 and on view through November 3, 2018.

Opening night is September 15, 2018 from 5-8PM.

Born in Argentina in 1941, Porter is a member of a pioneering wave of Latinx artists who have mined identity socio-politics using then-new strands of contemporary art making to forge engaging methods of aesthetic engagement. Currently being recognized for her contribution to art history, Porter has recently been highlighted in notable exhibitions including: a career spanning survey at the Museo Tamayo de Arte Contemporáneo (2009), inclusion in the 57th Venice Biennale (2017) and Radical Women: Latin American Art, 1960–1985 (2018).

Liliana Porter’s Memorabilia presents highlights from a celebrated and dedicated artistic career of giving voice to the Everyperson. Through the use of found inanimate objects, Porter posits the human condition as fragile and curious, yet full of wonder. Activated by the viewer, these characters are cast in vignettes that theatricalize the trials and tribulations of society depicted through an almost incomprehensible range of human emotion. Presented in a variety of mediums including painting, photography, drawing, installation assemblage, collage and video, these oft forgotten – but most likely once adored – ceramic ducks, plastic soldiers, porcelain figurines and the like, are reanimated with a new purpose.

The artworks on view in Memorabilia make apparent deeper contexts at play, using time and memory as a worldview primed to expose our current societal quandaries. The myriad of narratives that emerge with Porter’s work are initially personal, playing off of nostalgia and mnemonics – but are also dosed with subtle humor and a hint of foreboding. Cumulatively, the relatable perspectives gained from this experience allow the viewer to comprehend what Porter calls “the possibility of meaning” while emphasizing our own infinitesimal role in the grandest scheme of all.

There will be an additional reception for Memorabilia in conjunction with Art After Hours (EXPO Chicago): September 28, 2018 from 6 to 9 PM. Please join us.