Der Mythos des Fortschritts (The Myth of Progress), 2008
Total Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, South Korea
Artists: Adel Abdessemed, Lida Abdul, Phil America, Ivan Argote, Chim↑Pom, Minerva Cuevas, Chto Delat?, Cyprien Gaillard, Yang-Ah Ham, Andre Hemer, Tehching Hsieh, Zhang Huan, Jani Leinonen, Klara Liden, Armando Lulaj, Matt McCormick, Filippo Minelli,
Wang Qingsong, Andres Serrano, Manit Sriwanichpoom,
Clemens von Wedemeyer, Kacey Wong, Xijing Men, He Yunchang.
Der Mythos des Fortschritts (The Myth of Progress), 2008
(excerpt)
4 min
Courtesy: Galerie Neu, Berlin, Reena Spaulings, NY
Der Mythos des Fortschritts (The Myth of Progress), 2008
The balance and contrast between levity and gravity continues in Lidén’s video installation Der Mythos des Fortschritts (The Myth of Progress) (Moonwalk). Lidén is shown moonwalking through the streets of Manhattan at nighttime. While the movement is vaguely ludicrous, given its pop culture connotations, the setting is not. It may not quite be an inherently sinister location, but there is the hint of menace. The method employed depends not only on the artist’s preference, but on the message they are conveying and, crucially, the opposition they are facing. This resistance may come not just from their opponents, but from an audience skeptical of dogma or claims of rebellion. For the socially conscious artist, it is a choice between storming the gates and constructing a Trojan horse on the shore. The thought-provoking, playful but disruptive work of Klara Lidén, as evidenced in The Myth of Progress, is a fine example of the latter.
