Ghislaine Leung takes to task many now-venerable traditions like institutional critique, conceptual art, and readymade sculpture, re-imagining their underlying questions and methods in canny, playful ways. Central to her work are concise “scores.” These descriptions outline the implementation and materials of a work, which an institution is then left to interpret and execute in conversation with the artist. Starting from a single sentence, a given score can transform an institution, bring certain patterns into view, or turn its structures inside out. At the heart of this are Leung’s accumulating explorations of the complex dynamics around labor, access, and value, along with a host of dependencies that run through our lives. By tuning into the immediate context, Leung’s work also draws out larger systems and networks that stretch far beyond it. Her exhibition at the Ren is a new commission, her first at a US museum.
Curated by Karsten Lund.
