Opening & Performance – 21st July, 6-9pm
JOHN DOE
112 Waterbury St
Brooklyn, NY 11206
Cool for the Summer, in a self-conscious nod to Demi Lovato’s
overt yet arguably failed attempt at producing the jam of Summer 2015, is likewise a Sisyphean attempt to lower temperatures in the unrelenting heat of summer.
In celebration of our newly-installed air-conditioning system, we attempt to boost the collective BTUs of the space by increasing the number of fans and air conditioners regardless of medium (or reality, or utility).
The cooling devices appear in multiple guises, from the unnoticeable whirr of the window unit across the street to the looming doom of accidental cryogenesis in a meat locker with a displaced doorstop, forcing the viewer to teeter in cold sweat on the precipice of art and appliance.
On view during the hottest weeks of the year, the exhibition provides a much-needed respite from the sun while augmenting the boil in our blood, irreversibly invigorated by unyielding temperatures. Come seek out the beauty in our artworks, not unlike the smooth, tanned backs, necks, chests, and calves you were accidentally caught gazing upon. Here, you may stand and stare forever without jealous glances, offended grimaces or cold indifference.
Relieve yourself from the heavy air, dank with sexuality and frustration, while contemplating the symbolic import of air conditioning devices. Set your hot brains free and your mind ablaze as you divorce form from function; leave dry and refreshed, incinerating upon exit. If you’re lucky, you might increase your metaphorical “cool”. And wouldn’t that be swell, like the waves you wish you were rolling in.
While heat may be uncomfortable, perhaps it is in fact the AC, and its contribution to the homogenisation of environments, which is stifling us.