Intro
Hello America
Karma International, Zurich
28 March – 22 May 2021
Content
When British writer J.G. Ballard published his novel Hello America in 1981 Ronald Reagan just had accomplished his first hundred days as President of the United States. The plot of the book develops around an ecological disaster in the year 2114. An expedition hoists the sails to investigate a presumably lost continent. In this subtle parody of American culture themes such as the threat of an ecological disaster provoked by the failure of liberalism anticipated the decline of a great nation. After four years of a tumultuous presidency and the prevalent risk of a collapse on various levels the world is questioning America’s potential to pursue its role as a global leader.
The show consisted of historical works from the 1980s. Jennifer Bolande, Jessica Diamond, and Tishan Hsu were artists belonging to a new scene, that kicked off in East Village galleries and alternative spaces to be later propelled into international careers. Their visionary work manifests the elan of a generation that was at once future driven but also critical towards the luster of late capitalism.
Artists
Jennifer Bolande, Jessica Diamond, Tishan Hsu