the museum of contemporary art detroit (mocad) is pleased to announce : this is not detroit, a solo exhibition by the copenhagen-based artist tal r, opening friday, may 11, 2018. the intricate, multipart installation manifests the artist’s fantasy of detroit, acting as a meditation on dream places, identity, and whimsy. the exhibition will remain on view through sunday, july 29, 2018.
seven large-scale paintings, rendered in a rich and moody palate of blues, depict the artist’s vision of specific detroit neighborhoods. the abstract works use primitive shapes and symbols to investigate the visual language of displacement and place. waves, ships, and city buildings, drawn with short energetic brushstrokes, populate these insular worlds. the formal, hard-edged palette suggests that this world is perhaps sturdier than the one we can see around us. these unique imaginings invite viewers to reflect on detroit as a place, and as an idea — a parallel dream space.
for the exhibition, tal r has written a one-of-a-kind, 52-page detroit newspaper, which will be distributed to the public at the exhibition. : this is not detroit is tal r’s sincere investigation of american iconography from his studio in denmark, inspired by kaftka’s amerika, a novel he wrote without ever having visited america. all works in the show, including the paintings, will be completed in detroit, at mocad, as part of the artist’s immersion in the space. the newspaper will comprise a physical element in the show, displayed beside a papier-mâché wall in the gallery.
the museum of contemporary art detroit (mocad), mike kelley foundation for the arts, and graeme flegenheimer (el club detroit) are pleased to present tom house: the work and life of tom of finland, opening april 19, 2018 at mike kelley’s mobile homestead at mocad.
in collaboration with tom of finland foundation, mike kelley’s mobile homestead will realize tom house: the work and life of tom of finland. the exhibition will feature work by tom offinland (touko laaksonen, finnish, 1920-1991) and incorporate artists who supported and admired his work over the years, including richard hawkins, robert mapplethorpe, raymond pettibon, jim shaw, and john waters. the presentation will also include photographs, reference materials, and ephemera.
tom of finland’s drawings – remarkable not only for their masterful rendering, but also their fantasticalrepresentation of the male form – have been long celebrated for their radical role in broadening the popular understanding of queer experience in art. placed in context with his peers, the assemblage of these artworks engages a sensational narrative, one that helped define a generation.
tom spent the last decade of his life between finland and tom house in echo park, los angeles, california. the exhibition will evoke the spirit of the home where tom had his studio and lived during his final years. tom spent his career challenging the boundaries of art and social engagement, be it through his craft or thematic pursuits. placed in context with his contemporaries, the presented survey seeks to highlight the work of queer artists across the globe and carry out the mission of protecting, preserving and promoting queer art.
