Phantasmagoria: Specters of Absence

May 24, 2008 - August 10, 2008 

Mist, breath, and fog are often associated with mystery; in their double status as perceptible yet almost nonexistent phenomena, they suggest evanescence or absence.  The mysterious world of vapor evokes a dreamlike state inviting the viewer to suspend the harshness of reality for some otherworldly space.  This show explores how artists are currently working in this challenging artistic medium, and engaging the viewer with their creations, and throughout the installations, the artists’ use of shadows and actual fog and mist evokes the alluring enigma and magic of Phantasmagoria.  The artists, including William Kentridge, Christian Boltanski, Regina Silveira and Jim Campbell, are part of an international roster making for an impressive, groundbreaking presentation. An illustrated catalogue accompanies the exhibition with a text by curator José Roca of the Luis Ángel Arango Library, Bogotá, Colombia.

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Phantasmagoria: Specters of Absence is a traveling exhibition co-organized by ICI (Independent Curators International), New York, and the Museo de Arte del Banco de la República, Bogotá, Colombia, and circulated by iCI. The guest curator for the exhibition is José Roca. The exhibition, tour, and catalogue are made possible, in part, by the iCI Exhibition Partners and the iCI independents.