John M Armleder’s ambitious exhibition „Selected Furniture Sculptures 1979 – 2012” which opened at the swiss Institute, New York, in September is the first solo show in the city for the Swiss artist in eight years. Born in 1948 in Geneva, Armleder, who appeared on the art scene in the early Sixties, could be known today as a Fluxus artist, taking part in the events organized by this movement. He could – but he chose to go his own way, which he consistently follows to this day.
The show at Swiss Institute includes works from the last 30 years of his artistic production, including new works. Using everyday objects that represent different time frames in our everyday life (furnishing items, musical instruments, skateboards or even truck spoilers), Armleder constantly deals with the tradition of modernist aesthetic and the history of ready-mades. This makes the distinction between the periods in which the works were made almost undistinguishable; the old pieces are very present and the new ones carry the patina of age.
The ongoing series of installations, “Furniture Sculptures”, begun in the late Seventies, is usually based on the juxtaposition of an object paired with a wall-mounted element. Or in other words: the arrangement of object-based spatial constellations with abstract surface. It’s a unique process of montage that takes place between an object and its content instead of one object and another. Grouped units begin to develop their own life, and exude their unused features. While sufficiently rich to stand by themselves, their combination creates a remarkable harmony and generates a dialogue between their surrounding space and, as is the aim of art, with the recipient.
Otherwise, Armleder rather probes notions of art designation. Paintings invade the antique furniture and vice versa – elements of design end up on the walls assuming the semblance of pictures. However, Armleder never comments on what people want to see in his art. Instead, he plays with formal innovation and appropriation, the tradition and concept of an object and the way we perceive it. It’s all about making a choice.
Text by Weronika Trojanska
John M Armleder
Selected Furniture Sculpture 1979 – 2012
Until October 29
Swiss Institute, NYC