In an era dominated by the digital array, our sense of reality becomes increasingly fragmented. The once-clear demarcations between the tangible and the impalpable now blur and fade, leading one into an uneasy confrontation with the ever-fading truths and fundamental meanings of existence. These become all the more elusive against the backdrop of a rapidly evolving ephemeral media landscape. Spectral Strategies invites visitors to traverse a realm of ethereal reflections, fragmented memories, and spectral echoes, all viewed through the lens of a world teetering between engulfing hyperreality highs and a pervasive condition of annihilation anxiety.

At the heart of this multimedia exhibition are two conceptually driven artists, each engaging with the contemporary human experience through radically different methodologies. Jet Le Parti, influenced by his brief European residencies—most notably, a profound period in Berlin's rich cultural environment and subsequent exploration of its collected looting trove of Western antiquity—crafts enigmatic ciphers with vivid pigments and evocative poetic lyricism through his latest body of work. Under this broadened insight, his recent pieces seeks to breathe new life into classical narratives and intellectual traditions, rigorously examining and reiterating the foundational questions of human experience via the essential mediums of painting, poetry, and sound.

In stark contrast, S. Toy, a recent departure from the Royal College of Art and the latest addition to our gallery project, challenges artistic conventions with a hyper-contemporary, conceptual stance. By prioritizing the media-aesthetic presence of their work over its physical form, Toy questions the material validity of traditional art-making. Their radical view of the art object as an ongoing performance—breaking away from the constraints of human-centered expression—dives deep into the changing landscape of art's role in contemporary culture. This shift offers a compelling new vision, framing art as a vehicle for expanding imagery rather than a conduit for meaningful personal expression.

Bringing these two artists together in an exhibition setting for the first time, Spectral Strategies aims to resonate and reflect upon underlying themes within the echoes of the past, set against the stark realities of our current era.

The exhibition's journey commences with the unveiling of the first collection by Jet Le Parti on January 27th, 2023. Picking up the thematic baton, S. Toy's interpretative works are slated to take center stage in early 2024, promising a challenging continuation of this immersive, conceptual dialogue

(More to come soon)

Text: Base 36. 2023/24

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