Cheryl Donegan at the New Museum

In January 2016, the New Museum will host the first solo museum presentation in New York of the work of artist Pia Camil (b. 1980, Mexico City). In her paintings, sculptures, performances, and installations, Camil draws inspiration from the inner-city landscape of her native Mexico City and from the history of modernism. Her projects expose the inherent problems as well as the latent possibilities within urban ruin, exploring what she refers to as the “aestheticization of failure.” At the New Museum, Camil will present a new sculptural installation created specifically for the Lobby Gallery. Inspired by the modular display systems used by commercial vendors, the artist will create a succession of gridwall panels with built-on fixtures commonly intended for store display. Composed of grids, lines, and geometric shapes, the structure will form a volumetric drawing within the space of the gallery. Camil will then invite the public to participate in the ongoing creation of her piece, encouraging visitors to exchange their own unique items for others in the installation, thereby transforming the gallery into a “shop” in which the monetary value of an object is supplanted by its personal history and significance (more information and dates for participation). The exhibition is curated by Margot Norton, Associate Curator.