Image: Thomas Hirschhorn, Abstract Resistance (Detail), 2006. Image extracted from www.walkerart.org
Abstract Resistance curated by Yasmil Raymond for the Walker Art Center, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2010
With a new commission and works dating back to the 1950s, the exhibition Abstract Resistance brings together now-legendary figures as well as younger artists who have revolted against the aesthetic orthodoxies of their times. While these pieces do not conform to a single theme, they are united in challenging what is expected of art, from the way it looks to the role it plays in society at large. The show considers the metaphor of “resistance” as a complex formal and political force, as is suggested by the title. The exhibition, drawn mostly from the Walker collection, highlights works in assemblage, collage, and photomontage.