Stéphanie Nava, Considering a Plot (Dig for Victory)
MOCAD, Detroit (USA). 16.09.2011
-
Motive Gallery, Amsterdam (Netherlands). 12.03 -
Press release by E-
MOCAD is thrilled to announce its presentation of French artist Stéphanie Nava's
first solo exhibition in the United States; on view concurrently with barely there
(part two), a group exhibition in two parts that explores issues of immateriality,
presence, absence, performance and the performative. The fall exhibitions are curated
by Luis Croquer, Director and Chief Curator, and organized by the Museum of Contemporary
Art Detroit.
Considering a Plot (Dig for Victory) is a work in progress, developed
by artist Stéphanie Nava. The installation is based on the specifications and history
of English allotments, or subsistence gardens. Started in London in 2005 as part
of the Institut Français Villa Médicis Hors les murs residency program, the project
evolved over time and holds at its core issues revolving around the United Kingdom
and United States government programs encouraging citizens to "grow your own" [food]
during the Second World War, as a system of offsetting produce shortages.
The installation
addresses questions of representation in drawing: namely the relationship between
plane and perspective, issues around the notion of skill, as well as the importance
of the line as constructor of space both in two and three dimensions. Nava draws
from multiple genealogies of drawing, referencing archival, botanical, architectural
and technical forms of the discipline all at once. The mixed media installation considers
the role of the allotment, as a site of political, economic and military strategy;
community relationships and of course, of gardening and urban farming through a narrative
form that draws from areas of expertise such as urban planning and tourism.
Comprised
of over a hundred drawings on paper and other objects, the installation is modular
and of variable dimensions and evolves each time it is presented, potentially covering
an area of nearly 2,700 square feet. Stéphanie Nava's project critically examines
the Victory Garden as a point of departure for urban greening movements in contemporary
society, but also reflects incisively on issues of history, community and the practice
of art itself.
© ArtCatalyse International / Marika Prévosto 2011. All Rights Reserved
Exhibition September 16 -
Stéphanie Nava, installation views, Museum of Contemporary Art, Detroit, 2011
International past exhibitions 2011