The exhibition, situated within The Met and surrounded by traditional 1800s paintings, sets itself apart by invoking a distinctly modern and somewhat ironic atmosphere. The show begins in a narrow corridor displaying newspapers, magazines, and postcards, all centered around the theme of “Florida.” They guide visitors away from the classical art they’ve just encountered and into a carefully curated narrative of place and perception.
The artworks come from two artists: Walker Evans, a documentary-style photographer, and Anastasia Samoylova, a photographer and mixed-media artist. Together, they craft a portrait of Florida, forming a contradictory dialogue between fantasy and harsh reality. Florida emerges not only as a travel destination with postcard-perfect beaches and tourist havens, but also as a site where hurricanes, sea-level rise, and ecological fragility happen. The artists employ a variety of techniques to expose the underlying tensions, such as photography, collaging, and the application of acrylic paint overprints
The walls are painted in vibrant, chromatic hues of green and pink, serving as an unconventional prelude. The bubblegum pink and lush green hues evoke the vibrant kitsch often associated with Florida’s tropical allure. However, the deeper pink wall tone does not match the shade featured in the title text, thus the earthy carpet sets a sense of underlying unease.
Among the various sections, the opening corridor emerges as the most successful space. It offers a broader vantage point and frames the subsequent experience with context and complexity. This corridor allows viewers to move into the show with an informed understanding of Florida’s layered identity with the textual information, archival materials, and thematic orientation. In comparison, the inner spaces felt disappointing, with not strong enough work.
Jessy Hu #
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