In Praise of Folly

In Praise of Folly

Curated by Jin Y. Hwang Coleman

‍With works by Pavel Acosta, Hong Seon Jang, Marc Oosting, Lior Shvil, and Ghost of a Dream.

February 27 - March 25, 2015

Opening Reception: Friday, February 27, 6-8 pm

NARS Main Gallery

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The New York Art Residency & Studios (NARS) Foundation is pleased to present a group exhibition In Praise of Folly, curated by Jin Y. Hwang Coleman and including work by Pavel Acosta, Hong Seon Jang, Marc Oosting, Lior Shvil, and Ghost of a Dream. In Praise of Folly, inspired by the famous book of the same title by Desiderious Erasmus, focuses on the works by artists who challenge our belief system and dogma in a satirical, humorous and witty way.

While Erasmus satirically praised the Catholic Church and its complacent followers to reveal their foolishness, the artists in this exhibition challenge our habitual perception and behavior that we accept without question and often force upon others as dogma. Their works mock the materialist society’s lack of fulfillment and satirize the cruel abuses of others repeated throughout history. They also question the authority of museums/ masterpieces and de-familiarize the use of medium and technique. It is important that the artists share absurdity, ambiguity and humor as part of their approach because it is precisely those perennially subversive elements that allow us to soften our rigid moral/ intellectual codes and rethink our relationship to society, culture, and the world.

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About the curator:
Jin Y. Hwang Coleman is an independent curator who separates her time in Seoul and New York. Her most notable exhibitions are The Moment of Transposition (Seoul, Korea), for which she received the first winner prize from Dong-A Art Award and 5C5C (Seoul, Korea/ Rome, Italy), a collaborative project by six international curators.