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It’s hard to know what to make of the wacky exhibit Will to Power at La Mama Gallery here in NYC, but it’s definitely engaging. Norwegian artist Rune Olsen, now living in Hudson, NY, is interested in what he refers to as “Alternative Intelligences” such as ADHD, Asperger’s, Dyslexia and Bipolar disorder. He questions what functionality would look like if “the norm” were one of these alternative intelligences.
Using mostly food and kitchen-centric objects, Olsen creates pieces that include a Cheese-ball Head that conveniently doubles as a paper towel holder; a leaning tower of take-out containers titled Endless Column; a kitchen counter in the center of the gallery with a person covered in foil and dishes stacked precariously by the sink in a piece titled Endless Water Fall, just to name a few. The entire space has foam sausages flying through the air as well and, apparently, at times there are performances in the space, though not while I was there.
In some ways meme-like, the artist seems to favor that comparison. He speaks of the idea of evoking “a visceral response in the viewer, a response that elicits a desire to imitate thus initiating a first hand experience and making them personal.”
Will to Power will be up at La Mama La Galleria through November 17, 2013. Open Wednesday to Sunday 1 to 7:30pm.
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