Leopards in the Temple: Sculpture Center

Somehow in 20 degree weather I managed to make it out to LIC for the Leopards in the Temple opening. The space was the most crowded I've ever seen it, which was very surprising especially at 6pm on a cold, dark Sunday. The show at first seemed amateur and as I walked through there were some things that seemed just ridiculous- pieces of rubber in rectangle shapes on the floor. Plus it was too crowded to fully understand what was going on.

Other pieces were fascinating and captivating. The pieces that drew me in on the ground floor, even through the masses, were both Nina Canell's. They were "Flat Earth", 2009 and "Perpetuum Mobile", 2009. Both pieces seemed like middle-school science projects but were at once dark, mysterious and seemed to be telling more then just the mechanics of electricity. I need to go back for further inspection. Nina Hoffmann's "Untitled(KS)", 2009 was the only other piece on this floor that caught my attention  (again it was very crowded and most pieces were not in full site). The piece, a 35mm slide projection of a single image reminded me of a Lee Friedlander picture.

The lower level at times allowed for space to take in the work, but the video pieces were mobbed and you could barely walk by, let alone see the video. My favorite artist on this level was Strauss Bourque-LaFrance. A young, Philadelphia-based artist who created at once simple and seductive pieces. He had seven pieces in one gallery that included a blue tarp installation, a candlestick sculpture and a foam crater piece with a picture of Mikhail Baryshnikov. There were also stalagmite sculptures that were another favorite as they seemed location specific.

 

The overall outcome from this visit was a reminder that LIC is really the center for experimental art - especially this show coupled with the current historical exhibition on performing art at PS1. Hopefully, the neighborhood will be able to keep this energy going. Excited to get a second look at these pieces in at a less crowded time.

Link to Sculpture Center
Link to PS1