Opening Reception: Friday, April 29, 6-8PMPerformances: Friday, April 29, 7PM and Saturday, April 30, 1PM
UTA Artist Space is pleased to announce Units of Measure, the first exhibition in Los Angeles by visual artist Mandy El-Sayegh, which explores the artist’s ongoing investigation of the cultural desire to regulate bodies.The installation covers the gallery walls and floors in densely layered materials, including socio-politically charged fragments of newsprint and silkscreened ephemera, overlaid with a skin of translucent latex. The exhibit additionally features paintings on repurposed pieces of linen from the artist’s White Grounds and Net-Grid series’, along with a painted platform roughly the size of a solitary confinement cell. As a whole, the installation immerses viewers in a thick and layered membrane inscribed with psychosocial debris, inviting recognition of what political philosopher Frantz Fanon describes as “violence which is just under the skin.” Throughout the installation, newsprint from The Financial Times and Asharq Al-Awsat overlap with prints of Israeli military operation names, Chinese calligraphy, and posters taken from psychiatric records. Through these densely layered materials, El-Sayegh plays with the notion of imposing order over a dysphoric mass, exploring the slippage that occurs when that which is buried breaks through.The exhibit is further activated by a newly-commissioned performance, Induced States, which premieres during the exhibit’s opening reception Friday, April 29 at 7PM with a second showing on Saturday, April 30th at 1PM. Created in collaboration with choreographer Alethia Antonia and composer Lily Oakes, Induced States brings to life the artist’s ongoing exploration of the ways political, social, and linguistic systems regulate and confine bodies. Performed on the installation’s central platform, Induced States involves gestures that mimic TSA-patdowns and invites parallels between the live performers and the bodies contained within El-Sayegh’s paintings. Accompanying both the performance and installation is an original soundscape by composer Lily Oakes. The disjointed score oscillates between hypnotic rhythms and disembodied voices citing muffled conversations from court hearings. It draws on the experiences of subjects in sensory deprivation, who are induced into states of hypersensitivity and delusions. In the performance, the movement of the performers responds to this collection of sounds, shifting from passivity to acts of worship and antagonism. Such actions further reflect strategies of delegitimised bodies to make themselves visible in sets of restrictions—be they social, linguistic, or symbolic. Represented by Lehmann Maupin, El-Sayegh (b.1985 in Malaysia, currently based in London) has a high rising profile throughout the world, with recent exhibitions in Seoul, Paris, and Beirut.UTA Artist Space Director Zuzanna Ciolek states, “Mandy’s depth of research and intensive process bring a nuance to the political dimensions of her work—I think she’s one of the most riveting installation artists working today. We’re thrilled to play a part in sharing her work with Los Angeles audiences, and especially excited that the exhibition features a newly commissioned performance with her long-term collaborators.”ABOUT MANDY EL-SAYEGHMandy El-Sayegh’s (b. 1985, Malaysia, lives and works in London, United Kingdom) highly process-driven practice is rooted in an exploration of material and language. Executed in a wide range of media, including densely layered paintings, sculpture, installation, diagrams, and sound and video, El-Sayegh’s work investigates the formation and break-down of systems of order, be they bodily, linguistic, or political. She is particularly interested in exploring the Part-Whole relationship–how something significant yet unpremeditated emerges and comes into being through various smaller, micro-interactions or repetitions. She physically demonstrates this by collaging disparate fragments, text, and found imagery, and layering them with materials like latex, rubber, and clay that mimic organic matter. Through simple, repetitive patterns such as a hand-painted grid or geometric molds, formal and narrative synthesis occurs that is not consciously intended or anticipated. ABOUT UTA ARTIST SPACEUTA Artist Space is an exhibition venue designed by Ai Weiwei in the heart of Beverly Hills that is committed to showcasing art by globally recognized talent. Since its establishment in 2016, UTA Artist Space has presented notable exhibitions with interdisciplinary artists and creatives, including Derrick Adams, Myrtis Bedolla of Galerie Myrtis, Jake and Dinos Chapman, Essence Harden, Larry Clark, Petra Cortright, Conrad Egyir, Amanda Hunt, Mariane Ibrahim, Arcmanoro Niles, The Carpenter’s Workshop Gallery, The Haas Brothers, and Ai Weiwei, among others. UTAArtistSpace.com.COVID-19 SAFETY All visitors will have to acknowledge both the health and safety guidelines and their health status before they visit. All visitors must wear a mask at all times. Masks and hand sanitizer will be available on site for guest usage. Guests must practice social distancing. There is ample signage throughout the space including arrows on the floor that tell guests which way foot traffic is flowing. Restrooms will be closed to guests and the Artist Space will be deep cleaned on a regular schedule following the close of business each day.PRESS CONTACTSJill RobinsonAssociate Director, Cultural Counseljill@culturalcounsel.comCaitlyn TellaAccount Executive, Cultural Counselcaitlyn@culturalcounsel.com