In case you hadn't noticed, the year 1993 is having quite a moment. It's not exactly a date that jumps off the page, like say, May '68 or 1939 or 1492. One would never say, "1993, that was the year everything changed!" And yet, perhaps it did, or so the curators at The New Museum are arguing in their latest exhibition, "NYC 1993 Experimental Jet, Trash and No Star" which opened last night.
Life and death as portrayed by Nicole Eisenman's Hanging Birth 1993, Oil on canvas
They describe it as such: "Centering on the year 1993, the exhibition is conceived as a time capsule, an experiment in collective memory that attempts to capture a specific moment at the intersection of art, pop culture, and politics." NY Magazine explains it much better, but basically, the idea is that the early 90s were a cultural turning point. Our modern digitized, globalized, terrorized world evolved from a hundred little sparks that all occurred within calendar year 1993. It's a fascinating hypothesis and concept around which to build a show which features 75 artists on all five floors. Bring your favorite time traveling shoes and enjoy the journey.
Chilling on Rudolf Stingel's carpet
"NYC 1993"
February 13 - May 26th 2013
The New Museum
235 Bowery
New York, NY 10002
Photos: Stillman Meyer
