Page 5 - The Venice Biennale 2001 issue of World of Art Magazine

MoMA

the MuseuM of ModeRn aRt in new YoRK

MoMA Meets ModernA 1960-2000

in this summer’s big exhibition, resistance , Moderna Museet co-operates
with the Museum of Modern art in new York. the exhibition is based on the
MoMa-production: the Path of Resistance, which shows how art has developed as a
political and social force, from the 1960’s till today. the american works are juxtaposed
with works from the Moderna Museet’s collection.

following world war ii, the conquering usa experienced a decade of success and
confidence. the next decade saw an abrupt end to all of this: the Kennedy murder,
the Vietnam war and the icy -cold relation with the eastern block revealed a gash
in the shining metal hull of society. the model state was shown to be corrupt,
chauvinistic and painfully prejudiced.

the socially orientated art of the 60’s and 70’s had put a focus upon ‘the
message’. the images which grew more distinct and poster-like, were often
combined with cogent paroles. But reality changes, as do our concepts of “justice”,
“freedom” and the “model state”. within politics, the “left” and “right” proved to
be difficult measures of social values.

d uring the 80’s and the 90’s the e stablishment and other power structures
were questioned in a more subtle and less confident mode. t he resistance
expressed itself more delicately as reality proved itself to be less concrete
and more ethereal.

during the 80’s artists began using images derived from mass-culture and often
altered their meaning by employing sophisticated methods. artists like cindy sherman
and Barbara Kruger took the commercial message of these images as well as the
deeply rooted conceptions of race, gender and class. using these, they managed to
scrutinise the fabric of society and ruffle the lay of our hair.
during the 90’s the circle is closed and the aesthetic viewpoints of the
post-war era can again be observed. however the messages has been camouflaged
and the “roots” infiltrated.

curator
joshua siegel
co-ordinator at
Moderna Museet
david elliott

david hammons
African-American Flag 1990

Modern MuseuM stockholm 19.5-26.8 2001
Resistance