How do we distinguish between the artificial and the real? And perhaps more importantly, why should we? Genesis Belanger makes the tension and anxiety that arise from these questions tangible as she lures viewers into an unsettling world.
Known for her ceramic works depicting an uncanny vision of domestic life, Belanger often teases out the dynamic relationships between discomfort, consumption, and capitalism. New pieces like “Dreams of the Luddite” nod to our collective malaise over the ubiquity of technology, portraying a nostalgic world just out of reach. “Care-taken” captures a similarly contemporary dilemma, as it presents a bathroom cabinet with medicines of mixed proportions and the recommended apple-a-day left to rot on the shelf.
While much of Belanger’s work draws from the home, a new project ventures outdoors. In City Hall Park in Manhattan, a collection of large-scale works brings the artist’s social critiques into the commons. Commissioned by Public Art Fund, Heads or Tails features a trio of scenes that reflect on this moment of change and whether its outcome is really determined by chance.
A flock of pastel-hued concrete birds plays in a fountain, while potted plants on dollies appear to be dropped in the park mid-move. This strange intersection of the real and the artificial transforms seemingly mundane and innocuous objects into unsettling visages.
Two cast-bronze figures also flank the fountain and reinterpret the image of Lady Justice, an allegorical persona who carries scales and wears a blindfold as a signal of her impartiality in judicial matters. Belanger’s iterations instead feature one figure holding up a mirror with a sculptural visage peering back at her, while the other presents her hands at different heights. “I’m interested in creating work that reflects the contradictions we navigate every day, where life can be both exhilarating and devastating at the same time,” Belanger says in a statement. “These experiences are not in opposition, but instead they coexist. My work seeks to reflect a nuanced picture of our present.”
If you’re in New York, stop by Perrotin to see Belanger’s work in the group exhibition Touch Grass through the end of the month. Heads or Tails will be on view through November 15. Explore more of the artist’s work on Instagram.
