Michael Joo's Early Works Revisited at Space ZeroOne

Michael Joo's exhibition 'Sweat Models 1991–2026' at Space ZeroOne in New York revisits his early works from the 1990s, which use shiny aluminum surfaces and systematic arrangements to critique the indexing of the human body. Emerging amid the AIDS crisis and Culture Wars, Joo's practice combines his background in biology and seed science with art. The show includes pieces not exhibited for years and new works, adopting forms like bar graphs, pie charts, and scientific instruments. Notable is 'Yellow, Yellower, Yellowest' (1991), featuring three beakers of urine labeled 'Genghis Khan,' 'Benedict Arnold,' and 'Michael Joo,' which racializes the term 'yellow' and challenges classification systems. The exhibition highlights Joo's interdisciplinary approach and the political context of the early '90s, referencing the 1993 Whitney Biennial.