Wangchi Mutu’s extensive show at the New Museum is a major solo exhibition that features over one hundred works from her impressive twenty-five-year-long career. Her work is presented through various media that are able to create fantastical forms that cover folkloric narratives, and mythological stories while discussing colonialism, globalization, and African traditions. With each floor containing different pieces of work of various mediums, the entire exhibition had a beautiful flow. While at times it felt a bit overwhelming due to the surplus of the work, each floor was able to hold on its own. The piece Shavansa I (2019) was displayed in the most minimal environment on the top floor of the museum. This piece is a perfect start or end piece depending on how one goes about viewing the exhibit, instead of the body on top of the yoga mat in a restful pose, the figure is buried underneath, presumed to be dead. Throughout the work all the work, there was a common theme of pops of bright color that would be brought into an earthy palette The work MUD (2003) was ink and collage prints that were simple in nature but the use of mixed-media made it more interesting as it made the women hidden, reduced, and depersonalized. The way that the prints were hung was not my favorite on that floor as they felt more cramped together, making it hard to view them individually as they were intended. The show as a whole was incredibly beautiful to see, containing such a wide span of work from a singular artist.
-Victoria
This show truly had an impressive collection of work both in scale and quantity. Her work is very maximalist in color, object rendition, and texture. The natural pallet used in her work is only compliented and highlighted by being placed alongside bright pops of color. However I disagree about the pieces hung salon style. I feel that by having all these pieces together, her maximalist style really shined and highlighted the themes of fantasy and transformation that are present throughout her work.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete"Intertwined" was an incredible show with a large range of mediums. The New Museum executed an excellent curation of works from Wangchi Mutu’s twenty-five-year-long career that was expansive without feeling overwhelming. The mixture of installation styles allowed for variety in the exhibit. If the work on every floor was hung in a single row, the rooms might have felt too identical to one another. The large scale sculptures were beautiful in their texture and three-dimensionality. However, I think they would have benefited from greater floor space. The small amount of walking room between them hindered the viewing experience.
ReplyDelete