"pretend friendly"
curated by alfredo martinez
exhibition: january 15 - february 15, 2005
opening reception: january 14, friday, 2005, 6-9 pm
hours: tuesday - saturday 10am - 5pm
new york, december 23, 2004-the:artist:network is pleased to present pretend friendly, a group exhibition of 20 emerging artists, curated by alfredo martinez. pretend friendly is the dynamic synthesis of increasingly subversive attitudes by a younger generation of new york-based artists exploring the tension between aesthetic sensibilities and a darkening global vision.
the exhibition provides an intimate setting for these artists to express their idiosyncratic voices freely as they investigate a creeping uneasiness in american society. despite their varied artistic backgrounds their works share the ambiguity of apparent beauty laced with a sinister mood; the often attractive and skillfully rendered artwork at second sight reveals an insurgent edge.
pretend friendly includes works in video, painting, sculpture, drawing, photography and multidisciplinary experiments produced during the past year.
pretend friendly expands the dialogue initiated by the:artist:network among emerging generations of international artists. the:artist:network, an independent arts organization founded in 2002, is a vibrant, interactive think-tank where new york-based and international artists work, live, exhibit and congregate to exchange their ideas and engage in cross-disciplinary collaborations.
participating artists: surface 2 air, jennifer brackett, cara earl, justine harari, ellen jong, nemo librizzi, mimi lien, alexandra lowenstein, brodie neill, zephyr polimenakos, rostarr, ben ruhe, bettina sellmann, farshad shahrokhi (aka= shadi), koji shimizu, carolina taveras, dirk westphal