Meer / Arts : Fragile states

4 — 8 Sep 2024 at Space 776 in New York, United States

View original Meers article: HERE

Space 776 presents Fragile states at Volta Art Fair New York 2024, featuring the evocative works of Katherine Jackson, Frank Olt, and Dasha Bazanova. This curated exhibit explores the relationship between environmental change and the impact of war, offering a profound exploration through diverse mediums and themes. Katherine Jackson’s delicate glass sculptures and Frank Olt’s abstract landscapes invite viewers to reflect on the fragility and resilience of nature and the human spirit amid conflict. Dasha Bazanova’s Social club tub sculptures use ironic humor and satire to critique societal excess and its consequences. Together, these works challenge attendees to consider the fragile state of our world and the profound impact of human actions on society and the environment.

Frank Olt’s artistry bridges the historical and contemporary, merging abstract ceramic and painting techniques reminiscent of the New York school with poignant themes that resonate with the flower power movement of the 1960s and 70s—his works, such as See grass trees, 2024 and Sunflowers, 2024. The second one draws directly on the sunflower—a national symbol of Ukraine—depicting the landscape both in peace and during wartime. This duality reflects not only the resilience and beauty of nature but also its vulnerability in the face of conflict, echoing the transformation of violence into patterns of flowers in Katherine Jackson’s Bullet Glass series.