I really wish that I were in New York right now to check out Rachel Lee Hovnanian‘s exhibit, Plastic Perfect, at the Leila Heller Gallery in Chelsea. Mostly because I really respect the questions that she is asking and the challenge to all of us that she is putting out there. As the press release for the exhibit explains,
| In Plastic Perfect, Hovnanian revisits obsession, narcissism and intimacy in a collection of interactive installations, sculpture, video and photography to explore where our natural and synthetic worlds collide. The artist takes us back 50 years to answer questions about digital technology today and its future trajectory, challenging viewers to reevaluate his or her own relationship with the medium. |
When I was out of town, I really tried to step away from technology and be present with my family. In trying to make that attempt, I became all the more aware of when I went to reach for my phone – just to fill time. It helped that I was in a place where reception was limited, but again, this made me realize how much we have become addicted to being “connected,” and it left me with a very uneasy feeling.
I appreciate the fact that an artist is challenging us to think about how technology might have an impact on us in ways we don’t even realize yet. In this exhibit she “highlights the irony of society’s infatuation with hyper-connectivity: the vehicle meant to make us feel more connected actually robs us from a virtuous and true intimate connection with the present.” Hovnanian’s work encourages us to ask, “We’re so addicted to our technology. Are we happy like this? Do we need to pay attention to it?”
For those of you who are in the NYC area: Plastic Perfect, will be on view at Leila Heller Gallery, 568 West 25th Street, New York until October 18th, 2014. The Instant Gratification pop-up will be open from September 18th through September 21st, 2014 at 452 West Broadway, New York.
Images via Leila Heller Gallery
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