Central to the exhibition is Arsham’s “Wall Excavation” installation, a large-scale, architecturally responsive installation in which the artist has carved into a repeated series of faux-concrete walls. As visitors engage directly with their surroundings and walk among the immersive excavation, they are met with sculpted openings in which jagged edges morph from abstract forms into the silhouette of a human figure. This transformative experience evokes notions of progress in relation to mankind’s ability to manipulate his surroundings.
Arsham’s interests in the analysis of mankind’s place in history set the tone for the exhibition. "The Future Was Then" simultaneously comments on and condenses the timeline of civilization and creates an experiential moment for visitors to reflect on their own personal place within it.
Presented as part of deFINE ART 2016, which takes place Tuesday, Feb. 16 through Friday, Feb. 19, 2016.
All deFINE ART lectures, receptions and events are free and open to the public.
