SoiL Thornton's eviction becomes art at Swiss Institute

At the Swiss Institute (SI) in New York, artist SoiL Thornton's exhibition 'Metabolizing eviction try, work_mp3 and other games of topping' (until 5 July) centers on a work of institutional critique that helped keep them housed. Thornton was served an eviction notice on 18 September 2025, requiring $53,014.33 to resolve the dispute. The piece, 'evict relief' (2026), includes legal filings, correspondence with SI chief curator Alison Coplan and director Stefanie Hessler, and a proposal for SI to contribute $22,296 from the exhibition budget toward Thornton's housing debt. SI allocated $5,700 from the $10,000 production budget, plus Thornton could use their $9,544 honorarium. A filing dated 2 March 2026 confirms eviction proceedings were discontinued. Coplan calls the work 'essential' and notes it raises questions about institutional roles in the housing crisis. Artist Josh Kline, who wrote on New York real estate, visited and thanked SI.