The Utah Museum of Contemporary Art believes in the power of the art of our time. Through programming, advocacy, and collaboration, we work with artists and communities to build a better world.
The Utah Museum of Contemporary Art believes in the power of the art of our time. Through programming, advocacy, and collaboration, we work with artists and communities to build a better world.
Jun 27, 2014 – Aug 16, 2014
What does the civilized man embody—a self-consumed mentality focused on one’s own existence in an effort to live outside of collective society, or at least the conditioned notion of life and the necessity of participation? This question of conceit speaks to a universal human desire to develop and control an alternative place where the creator oversees the future of their domain.
Christopher Kelly’s GOD COMPLEX expands and encapsulates this particular creationist motif by referencing the language and aesthetics of science fiction. A genre often associated with futuristic pursuits of new worlds and extraterrestrial life, sci-fi is also an apt metaphor for the discovery of the differences between self and other, human and alien. Although Kelly’s practice is averse to explicit narrative, one cannot help but attempt to place each work into a greater story.
His performative sculptures are poetic simulations that confront the perplexities of identity. By constructing allegorical depictions of personal dialogues, Kelly forms an internal autobiography. Yet his manipulation of science fiction tropes makes this introspection accessible to the outside world. GOD COMPLEX is a wormhole, catapulting the viewer to another universe where escapist tendencies are only limited by individual experience and imagination.
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