Artist Daniel Arsham has carved a 300 feet path through the SCAD Museum of Art’s Pamela Elaine Poetter Gallery as part of his latest exhibition,“The Future Was Then.” Select sculptural works and this installation explore the interaction between mankind and architecture, and draw particular attention to man’s capacity for creating, destroying and repurposing manmade and natural materials both historically and contemporaneously.
Central to the exhibition is Arsham’s “Wall Excavation” installation, a large-scale, architecturally responsive installation in which the artist has carved into a repeated series of faux-concrete walls. As visitors engage directly with their surroundings and walk among the immersive excavation, they are met with sculpted openings in which jagged edges morph from abstract forms into the silhouette of a human figure. This transformative experience evokes notions of progress in relation to mankind’s ability to manipulate his surroundings.
Arsham’s interests in the analysis of mankind’s place in history set the tone for the exhibition. “The Future Was Then” simultaneously comments on and condenses the timeline of civilization and creates an experiential moment for visitors to reflect on their own personal place within it.
The exhibition is on display at the Savannah College of Art and Design until July 24.
all images courtesy of Daniel Arsham | source designboom