Purloined, group exhibition, Artists Space, New York (2001)

Guest curated by Christine Y. Kim, Purloined presented works of art by artists Sophie Calle, Lilah Freedland, Nancy Hwang, Nikki S. Lee, Lisa Levy, Guy Overfelt, Mark Wallinger, and Eric Wesley that reflected explorations of fraudulence. Whether the artist performed a falsehood or reversal, examined how identities and cultural practices were transgressed, or created objects consisting of stolen merchandise or materials obtained through alternative means, each piece addressed a form of manipulation or thievery. The processes of deviance conjured notions of desire, privacy, ownership, and materialism in contemporary culture.

The artists featured in the exhibition examined a specific kind of behavior through slightly different lenses. The tone was active, and the variety of works—from photography to video and from sculpture to performance—was dynamic. Purloined addressed a shared desire for, and rejection of, manipulatio

Image: Nikki S. Lee, The Seniors Project (12), 1999

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Purloined, group exhibition, Artists Space, New York, 2001