Andrew Norman Wilson's 'Lavender Town Syndrome' Exhibition at Ordet Milan Explores Digital Reality and Anxiety
From December 4, 2019, to February 15, 2020, Andrew Norman Wilson showcased his exhibition 'Lavender Town Syndrome' at Ordet in Milan. The American artist unveiled a multichannel video piece titled Z = |Z/Z●Z-1 mod 2|-1, displayed on three screens. Utilizing telephoto lenses, the video captures a balcony at Chicago's Marina City, featuring various subjects such as a bees' nest and twins wearing Star Wars jerseys. A voiceover reflects on artists' struggles with leaving the art system. The exhibition's name alludes to a fictional syndrome that impacted Japanese children in the 1990s. Among the physical items displayed were a Pikachu and green Romanesco broccoli. Reviews of the exhibition emerged in April 2020, amid reports of COVID-19 in northern Italy.
Key facts
- Andrew Norman Wilson's exhibition 'Lavender Town Syndrome' ran from December 4, 2019 to February 15, 2020
- The exhibition was presented at Ordet, a newly opened space in Milan's Porta Romana area
- Central work was multichannel video Z = |Z/Z●Z-1 mod 2|-1 (all works 2019) projected on three screens
- Video features telephoto lens footage of a balcony at Chicago's Marina City complex designed by Bertrand Goldberg in the 1960s
- Exhibition includes physical objects like a papier-mâché Pikachu and Romanesco broccoli with Fibonacci fractal patterns
- Lavender Town Syndrome references a Pokémon game location allegedly linked to psychological effects on Japanese children in the 1990s
- Computer engineer Code Parade developed trancelike 3D fractal 'ray-marching' animations for the video
- Final room features video loop from 1965 Charlie Brown Christmas Special on an iMac G4 screen
Entities
Artists
- Andrew Norman Wilson
- Bertrand Goldberg
- Code Parade
Institutions
- Ordet
- ArtReview
- Marina City
Locations
- Milan
- Italy
- Porta Romana
- Chicago
- United States
- Naples
- Scampia
- Japan