OK/OKAY

April 19–July 16, 2005

OK/OKAY

The exhibition’s curatorial point of departure is the disputed etymology of the terms OK and okay. Employed universally, both signify approval and assent or, when describing a quality, acceptability. The question of their origin, however, has sparked endless debates and inspired book-length treatises. Suggesting that issues of translation can challenge standard assumptions, the artists in OK/OKAY make artworks that stand out in a pragmatic world that tends to value clarity and brevity. Curated by Marc-Olivier Wahler, Artistic Director at S I, the shows explore the myriad ways in which art is no longer defined by position or place―instead gliding over the visible and exposing the limitless strata comprising its structure. Wahler proposes that this interplay triggers a slippage in interpretations as well as constant oscillations between different languages. It is in this unstable field, he suggests, that contemporary art finds its meaning: not as a cultural domain in search of aesthetic definitions, but rather a true dynamic.

Christian Anderson
(born 1973 in Stockholm; lives and works in Stockholm)

Soft Drink Stand, 2001 Mixed media Courtesy of the artist

Soft Drink Stand, 2001
Mixed media
Courtesy of the artist

 

Valentin Carron
(born 1976 in Fully, Switzerland; lives and works in Fully)

Untitled, 2004 Paint, leather, and wood Courtesy Galerie Praz-Delavallade, Paris

Untitled, 2004
Paint, leather, and wood
Courtesy Galerie Praz-Delavallade, Paris

 

Gabriele Di Matteo
(born 1957 in Torre del Greco, Italy; lives and works in Milan)

History Stripped Bare, 1999–2005, Oil on canvas Fonds Régional d'Art Contemporain Languedoc-Roussillon, Montpellier

History Stripped Bare, 1999–2005, Oil on canvas, Fonds Régional d’Art Contemporain Languedoc-Roussillon, Montpellier

 

Lara Favaretto
(born 1973 in Treviso, Italy; lives and works in Milan)

Twistle, 2003 Air tank, pressure regulator, distributor, timer, electrovalve, plastic cables, and whistle Courtesy Galleria Franco Noero, Turin

Twistle, 2003 Air tank, pressure regulator, distributor, timer, electrovalve, plastic cables, and whistle Courtesy Galleria Franco Noero, Turin

Laurent Grasso
(born 1972 in Mulhouse, France; lives and works in Paris and Rome)

Radio Ghost, 2004 DVD projection with sound, 30 minutes Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Chez Valentin, Paris, with the support of agnès b.

Radio Ghost, 2004
DVD projection with sound, 30 minutes Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Chez Valentin, Paris, with the support of agnès b.

 

Graham Gussin
(born 1960 in London; lives and works in London)

Beginning and Ending at the Same Time (Horizontal Movie), 2001 DVD projections, 10 minutes 30 seconds Courtesy of the artist and Lisson Gallery, London

Beginning and Ending at the Same Time (Horizontal Movie), 2001
DVD projections, 10 minutes 30 seconds
Courtesy of the artist and Lisson Gallery, London

 

Leopold Kessler
(born 1976 in Munich; lives and works in Vienna)

TV, 2001 Television set and switch Courtesy of the artist

TV, 2001 Television set and switch
Courtesy of the artist

 

Werner Reiterer
(born 1964 in Graz, Austria; lives and works in Vienna)

Untitled, 2005, Mixed media Courtesy Ursula Krinzinger Gallery, Vienna, and Eugen Lendl Gallery, Graz, Switzerland

Untitled, 2005, Mixed media
Courtesy Ursula Krinzinger Gallery, Vienna,
and Eugen Lendl Gallery, Graz, Switzerland

 

Nedko Solakov
(born 1957 in Cherven Briag, Bulgaria; lives and works in Sofia)

The Collector of Art (Somewhere in Africa there is a great black man collecting art from Europe and America, buying his Picasso for 23 coconuts…), 1992–2005 Concept of an African hut; sand, zebra skin, coconuts, crates; handwritten texts on cardboard; original artworks Courtesy of the artist and the Grey Art Gallery, New York University Wood posts courtesy Titus Mill Farm, Pennington, New Jersey

The Collector of Art (Somewhere in Africa there is a great
black man collecting art from Europe and America, buying
his Picasso for 23 coconuts…), 1992–2005
Concept of an African hut; sand, zebra skin, coconuts,
crates; handwritten texts on cardboard; original artworks
Courtesy of the artist and the Grey Art Gallery, New York University
Wood posts courtesy Titus Mill Farm, Pennington, New Jersey

 

Ben  Woodeson
(born 1965 in London; lives and works in London)

Variable North, 2003–05 Electromagnets and compasses Courtesy of the artist with support from the Scottish Arts Council

Variable North, 2003–05
Electromagnets and compasses
Courtesy of the artist with support
from the Scottish Arts Council

Jean-Luc Verna
(born 1966 in Nice, France; lives and works in Nice)

Helmut Newton, Big Nude, 1980 Marc Bolan (T. Rex) TV Show “Marc,” 1979 black-and-white photographs mounted on aluminum. Private collection

Helmut Newton, Big Nude, 1980
Marc Bolan (T. Rex) TV Show “Marc,” 1979
black-and-white photographs mounted on aluminum.
Private collection

Starts Tuesday, Apr 19, 2005
Ends Saturday, Jul 16, 2005
Travel The Swiss Institute–Contemporary, The Grey Gallery New York University
Credits

OK / OKAY is made possible in part with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), a State agency; and with support from the Abby Weed Grey Trust; Pro Helvetia; Étant Donnés, the French-American Fund for Contemporary Art; Bundeskanzleramt Österreich Kunstsektion; Consulate General of Sweden, New York; the Danish Arts Council; Fundação Luso-Americano Para o Desenvolvimento; Cultural Services of the French Embassy; and IASPIS.