Multidisciplinary artist Paul Pfeiffer has debuted his first ever retrospective exhibition held at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA). Paul Pfeiffer: Prologue to the Story of the Birth of Freedom showcases more than thirty works spanning his twenty-five-year career. These include life-size sculptures and architectural installations, alongside immersive videos demonstrating his skills in the medium of video art.
Born in Honolulu, Hawaii and spending his teenage years in the Philippines, Pfeiffer's work features themes of identity and belonging. Bringing the worlds of art, sports and entertainment together, he dissects our fascination with celebrity culture by reformatting footage of sporting events and Hollywood films to capture sports and movie stars in moments of deep emotion.
Referring to his work as "video sculptures", he uses the technique of digitally erasing people, sounds and other context from photographs and videos to demonstrate the physical labour required in the work's production. Offering a new perspective on media and the digital age, religion, politics and nationhood also play a significant role in his work. Previous shows of Pfeiffer's include Inhotim Institute, Brazil (2018), Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago (2017) and Honolulu Museum of Art (2016).
Clara Kim, MOCA chief curator and director of curatorial affairs, shared of the exhibition “Fundamentally, Pfeiffer gets at the undercurrents of what holds contemporary society together–our collective desires, fears, and sense of belonging." Accompanying the show will be a monographic catalogue, co-published by MOCA and MACK Books. It will include new critical readings of Pfeiffer's work and will delve into the extent of the artist's influence. Available from February 2024 it will feature documentation of the installation.
The show will be held from November 12 2023 - June 16 2024 at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA.
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