Louis Osmosis's 'Queues' Exhibition at Kapp Kapp Explores American Striving Through Assemblage and Arte Povera

Louis Osmosis's exhibition 'Queues' at Kapp Kapp in New York features 17 artworks including readymade assemblages, 3D-printed sculptures, and site-specific interventions installed along the gallery walls. The Brooklyn-born interdisciplinary artist presents a narrative of middle-class American life, beginning with anthropomorphic sperm sculptures like 'Big Mascot (Ragamuffin)' and six 'Small Mascots' with varied headgear. Childhood is represented by 'Chair with Pipe,' a vintage highchair pierced by steel pipe referencing Robert Gober, alongside 'Smokin' Tiki' with a riot shield alluding to the 2017 Charlottesville rally. Two 'Content House' assemblages depict young adulthood through boxes and fabric, adopting Arte Povera's visual language without digital references. Three 'Foreclosure' sculptures bundle papier-mâché 'firewood' over a Statue of Liberty image, leading to the final work 'Score, for Ellipsis & Roundtable,' featuring a keyboard, AM radio, and Mylar balloons referencing Pope.L's 2013 exhibition. Osmosis cites Pope.L's 2011 text 'Canary in the Coal Mine' as an influence, exploring commodification in art. The exhibition runs from January 20 to March 9, 2024, and can be viewed in either chronological or reverse order, creating a loop of life stages. Stanchions guide viewers through the space, evoking themes of capitalist striving and nostalgia.