Review: Kayode Ojo’s EDEN
The exhibition was on view at 52 Walker in New York City until Jan. 6.
Images courtesy of 52 Walker
There is always a crisp stillness before a party. The carefully arranged decorations sit quietly, pressed linens are pristine, and just below the surface is a soft fizz of excitement akin to the bubbles encased in the still-corked champagne bottles. When entering the 52 Walker gallery space to view the exhibition EDEN by the artist Kayode Ojo, it felt as though I had stumbled upon the celebration in waiting.
Swinging from the ceiling is an exaggerated pocket watch, swaying softly from side to side; it is the environmental metronome dictating the tempo for the way guests should move throughout the space. On opposite ends of the room, two massive chandeliers hang in eager anticipation of being hauled up to their proper height. Yet, they hang low enough to allow spectators time to admire the intricate repeated patterns created by otherwise standalone light fixtures.
We thought it might go another way; carefully pieced together in a pyramidal formation are identical, smoke glass-hued champagne coupes waiting to be filled with the celebratory beverage dramatically and spectacularly (in the meantime, molars sit in them as memento moris as a reminder of extravaganzas gone by). The would-be party takes up the entirety of the loft-like space; everything is waiting to be activated by revelers.
Ojo sources materials for his opulent sculptures online, searching the world wide web for clothing, jewelry, chairs, and other home and body accessories to build scenes that exteriorize the desire for social aspiration that these objects connotate. These ready-made items exemplify decadence and revelry while synthesizing the visual languages of both minimalism and opulence that allow the viewer the space to transcend social status and time.
Ojo minimizes the chasm between high and low-value objects by building scenes that are both imaged and pulled from life. Vintage luxury items mix and mingle with findings from both Shein and Amazon. Mirrored surfaces fill the space, allowing guests to check their hair and makeup or lock eyes with themselves and consider the more profound implications beneath the slick and glittering surfaces.
The objects that grabbed my attention were four carefully curated outfits of silver Paco Rabanne-esque paillettes, adult store handcuffs, and hoop earrings with cascading rhinestones. Inspired by a photograph he found of the Supremes, Supreme I, Supreme II, and Supreme III inspired a search for dazzling dresses and accessories that don’t measure the same quality as the dresses the iconic trio dons. Still, they ignite a nostalgic yearning to achieve their essence today. Each of these ensembles hung from folding music stands, awaiting the arrival of the entertainment who would change into these garments before dazzling the crowd.
There aren’t enough times when clothing is on display like the artwork it often is. They are ready-mades that are all too often cast away into closets or drawers, hidden from view in ordinary living spaces while also holding the most significant amount of value as the signifiers of their owner. Clothing narrates history and inspires a chase for a fantastical duplication when we want to imagine ourselves in the shoes of our idols.
