For more than a century, therapy in all its forms has become part of many of our lives. This is of little surprise given the economic, ecological and social turbulence that defines our age. As philosopher and sociologist Maurizio Lazzarato writes, “From one financial crisis to the next, we have now entered a period of permanent crisis, which we shall call ‘catastrophe’…”
Representations of anxiety, terror and fear have a long tradition in art. During the shift from the global financial crisis in 2008 to our current state of ongoing distress, many artists began examining the relationship between personal calamities and social catastrophes, employing different forms of therapy as tools for reframing our perceptions of ourselves and our surroundings. Foregrounding video and performance, The Talking Cure features works made since the global financial crisis by six international artists.
Addressing a broad affective and political spectrum, the exhibition provides space both for hands-on audience engagement—such as in Stuart Ringholt’s group anger management sessions—and time for contemplation and introspection—as in Andrea Fraser’s self-scrutinizing Projection, for example—exploring a world in perpetual upheaval.
Curated by Aileen Burns and Johan Lundh
Participating Artists
Andrea Fraser, Marianne Flotron, Melanie Gilligan, Jesse Jones, Stuart Ringholt, and SUPERFLEX
