Thomas Hirschhorn's 'Stand-alone' exhibition at The Mistake Room critiques capitalism through chaotic installations

From October 7 to December 17, 2016, Thomas Hirschhorn's exhibition 'Stand-alone' was presented at The Mistake Room in Los Angeles. The installation included armchairs encased in brown packing tape, monitors, and graffiti slogans such as 'Predatory Lending'. A fireplace, filled with cardboard, held critical theory texts by Jacques Derrida, Theodor Adorno, and Gilles Deleuze. Four rooms featured similar setups, with a cardboard tree trunk present. Photocopied images depicting violent aftermaths were also on display. Hirschhorn sought to engage visitors as witnesses to crimes, highlighting their ethical obligations. He referred to wall texts as 'news poetry', drawn from newspaper headlines. The exhibition, sourced from the Coppel Collection, overlooked local gentrification issues, prompting critics to remark on Hirschhorn's privileged viewpoint in a struggling area. This review was published in ArtReview's December 2016 issue.