Paroxysm of Sublime
Paroxysm of Sublime is a show presented in partnership with FLAX (French Los Angeles Exchange) at LACE. The title of the exhibition, quoting a poem by sculptor Sara Favriau, emphasizes the unfolding of changes, leading to an explosive convergence often followed by a drastic transformation. Directly referencing the overwhelmingness of the sublime as defined by Kant, the exhibition draws from the history and present of philosophy. The show draws from solastalgia—a term coined by philosopher Glenn Albrecht, meaning an anxious, existential sense of dread brought about by a rapidly shifting climate. As Climate Change affects the world around us, home becomes first uncanny, then hostile, like a nightmare in which one’s mother morphs into a stranger, then an enemy. To take on the concept of solastalgia, artists Eddie Aparicio, Carmen Argote, Beatriz Cortez, Sara Favriau, Etienne de France, David Horvitz, iris yirei hu, Candice Lin, Laura Huertas Millán, Eva Nielsen, Nine Herbs Charm (Eric Kim, Hannah Mjølsnes, Saewon Oh), Hubert Robert, SMITH x DIPLOMATES, and Daniel Otero Torres present works that question our definitions of “home” and “environment” in a world of ever present climate anxiety. The show runs until November 3, 2019.