Jordan Wolfson's Animated Puppet Installation at David Zwirner Gallery
Jordan Wolfson's 2016 installation 'Colored sculpture' at David Zwirner's New York gallery featured a mechanized puppet suspended by heavy steel chains. The work employed face-recognition software in LCD screen eyes that tracked viewers in real time. From May 5 to June 25, 2016, at 525 West 19th Street, the sculpture's boyish form was violently manipulated by automated pulleys across concrete floors. Percy Sledge's song 'When A Man Loves a Woman' unexpectedly played during the puppet's dramatic falls. Wolfson's creation explored themes of vulnerability and objectification through its uncanny humanoid appearance. The artist previously discussed moral questioning in a 2012 interview with Stefan Kalmár. Gallery attendants monitored visitors who observed the work from behind protective fencing. The installation provoked questions about empathy and cruelty through its mechanical choreography of suffering.
Key facts
- Jordan Wolfson exhibited 'Colored sculpture' at David Zwirner gallery
- The exhibition ran from May 5 to June 25, 2016
- Location was 525 West 19th Street in New York
- The sculpture featured a puppet with LCD screen eyes using face-recognition software
- Heavy steel chains and mechanized pulleys manipulated the figure
- Percy Sledge's 'When A Man Loves a Woman' played during the installation
- Wolfson discussed moral questioning in a 2012 interview with Stefan Kalmár
- Gallery attendants monitored visitors behind protective fencing
Entities
Artists
- Jordan Wolfson
- Stefan Kalmár
- Percy Sledge
Institutions
- David Zwirner
- artcritical
Locations
- New York
- United States
- 525 West 19th Street