“Skin Fruit: Selections from the Dakis Joannou Collection” Curated by Jeff Koons

By: Sarah Blumberg

 

 

 
Works in “Skin Fruit: Selections from the Dakis Joannou Collection.” Image courtesy of the New Museum.

 

 

The Dakis Joannou Collection, one of the largest contemporary art collections in the world, began with the purchase of Jeff Koons’ One Ball Equilibrium Tank in 1985, so it’s fitting that Koons was asked to curate “Skin Fruit: Selections from the Dakis Joannou Collection,” now on display at the New Museum.  Of course, Koons’s choice to include One Ball Equilibrium Tank in “Skin Fruit” would have made sense if the exhibition were merely meant to be an overview of contemporary artwork from the past two decades, but it isn’t.  Yes, for the person who knows very little about contemporary art and wants to see all of the biggest names in one place – there are Cindy Sherman photographs, one of Takashi Murakami’s creepy-sleek sculptures and some Chris Ofili elephant dung paintings – this exhibition is a great place to start.  However, Koons’s repulsively-named exhibition seeks to explore the age-old preoccupation with the human body as a vessel and vehicle for experience, but with over 100 works by 50 artists spread out over four floors, “Skin Fruit” can be, at times, a bit overwhelming.  Since all of these pieces are from one of the most famous collections of contemporary art in the world, and have won awards and gained exposure prior to this exhibit, it’s sometimes hard to see past their provenance. 

The layout of “Skin Fruit” appears to been decided upon haphazardly, although this is not meant to be the case.  Koons wanted visitors to be able to view the majority of the works on each floor from any point in the room, and while they are evenly spaced from each other, not all of the pieces seem to succeed within this method of display.  One piece that felt especially out of place was Roberto Cuoghi’s towering Pazuzu, a 20-foot version of a much smaller statue of an Assyrian demon at the Louvre. Cuoghi was attempting to inspire the sort of fear in a contemporary audience that the Assyrians might have felt, but while this statue would have been interesting on its own or in a different setting, it feels particularly awkward in “Skin Fruit” because of the way in which it dwarfs the other works surrounding it.

While the overall feel of “Skin Fruit” is disorganization – throwing so many works together makes this exhibit feel more like a warehouse of artwork than a museum show –certain aspects of it are more cohesive than others.  The second floor, for instance, despite the fact that it was probably the most graphic section of the show, was the one area that didn’t feel overwhelming, possibly because it’s the only section of the exhibition that takes place in a few distinct spaces rather than one open room.  Even David Altmejd’s The Giant, a sculpture of an oversized, naked, hairy man covered in mirrors and taxidermied squirrels, actually seemed to fit within the context of the other pieces surrounding it and provided a break from some of the overly serious nature of some of the other works.  In another room that presented a welcome change, I could hear Tino Sehgal’s This is Propaganda before actually encountering it.  It wasn’t until I stepped into the space, where the work is sung by a security guard as she strolls around the room, that I also encountered Maurizio Cattelan’s All, a series of nine white body bags that look like sheets but that, upon closer inspection, are actually made of marble.  The hush of the gallery and the artwork displayed within, interrupted by the music of Sehgal’s piece, created an effect that was startling, yet strangely beautiful.

  Koons clearly had a very strong vision for “Skin Fruit,” but asking an artist to curate an exhibition is always risky, and even the works within this show that I really enjoyed, such as Richard Prince’s painting I’m in a Limousine, made from acrylic on canvas and canceled checks, and Robert Gober’s bizarre Untitled, a sculpture that feature a disembodied, suited leg protruding from a wall, with two other anchor-shaped girls legs dangling from it, would have been just as interesting, if not more so, if seen in another context.  “Skin Fruit” presents an expansive look at some of the biggest names in contemporary art since the 1980s, but what it provides in breadth it lacks in cohesion. 

 

“Skin Fruit: Selections from the Dakis Joannou Collection” at the New Museum runs through June 6^th

 

New Museum

235 Bowery

Take the 6 train to Spring Street or the N or R train to Prince Street

Museum hours: W, 12-6; Thurs-F, 12-9; Sat-Sun, 12-6

Exhibition website: http://www.newmuseum.org/exhibitions/421/skin_fruit_selections_from_the_dakis_joannou_collection

Comments

[jwolf]

As widely publicized as this thing is, this here is the first straight forward review I've read of 'Skin Fruit,' without harping on about how much the Joannou collection is worth and so forth. And I agree with you, the show is uneven, disturbing and, in some cases, rather wretched. Then why did I like it so much?

[James]

I finally saw this exhibition and loved the room with Sehgal and Cattelan. Every other gallery was overwhelming and the way the works are placed canceled out each other's impacts.