Purple Art
[September 10 2018]
Urs Fischer “PLAY” with choreography by Madeline Hollander at Gagosian, New York
As I enter Urs Fischer‘s opening Gagosian on 21st Street, I notice that the white gallery walls are unadorned, and the considerable crowd has obstructed the work Fischer has created: multicolored wheeled office chairs, each with its own distinct demeanor. A bright pink chair catches my eye as it zips around people with a charisma that feels counterintuitive to an inanimate object. Fischer has collaborated with dancer choreographer Madeline Hollander to create the chairs’ movements, another unexpected element of the show. When an artist points out that something ubiquitous — like an office chair — has been taken for granted, it is about to be no longer so. By ascribing choreography to non-corporeal objects, he instills them with new potential, and presents a unique intersection of sculpture, behavior, and choreography.
“Play” is on view until October 13th, 2018 at Gagosian, 522 W 21st Street, New York.
Read the interview with Urs Fischer by Olivier Zahm featured in Purple 76 Index issue 29 here.
Photo and text Emily Wells
