Laurel Nakadate's "Only the Lonely" and "Talent Show" @ PS1/MoMA

Laurel Nakadate’s “Only the Lonely” and “Talent Show”, both currently shown at PS1 MoMA, provide an interesting commentary on personal space and celebrity in contemporary society. PS1 describes Nakadate’s show as an exhibition that “brings together bodies of work that touch on voyeurism, loneliness, the manipulative power of the camera, and the urge to connect with others, through, within, and apart from technology and the media.” The same can be said of “Talent Show.” Both “Only the Lonely” and “Talent Show” study the exploitive use of the camera in everyday life as a means of documenting for posterity and ultimately, fame.

“Only the Lonely” chronicles Nakadate’s journeys into the depths of desire and solitude- two existences that seem to become one in her work. At times deeply overwhelming, Nakadate’s photographs and videos leave the viewer feeling slightly unnerved. Each image exposes another layer of vulnerability to Nakadate’s self or at least, projected self. Apart from the obvious understanding of voyeurism, “Only the Lonely” left me wondering why? Why would someone document their tears for 365 days? Why would someone document themselves as a lust worthy object or acting out a fantasy? The only explanations I could determine were derived of what I experienced when exploring the other galleries in the museum.

“Talent Show” chronicles our society’s obsession with fame through various mediums. Each work of art in the exhibition puts vulnerability, voyeurism and celebrity right in front of the viewer and demands that it be understood and qualified. In a world where Facebook has become the new normal in communication and commercialism, everyone can be a celebrity. The opening work of art in the show, Piero Manzoni’s pedestal, immediately conjures imagery of Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood or a star on the Walk of Fame. Manzoni, a conceptual artist, has created his pedestal in such a way that it invites the viewer to engage. Yet, there are already two footprints on top of the pedestal which suggest the presence of someone unseen. Such a piece exemplifies how little there is behind celebrity and fame these days. All it takes is documentation.

From a critical standpoint, PS1 brilliantly handles the subjects of social media, voyeurism and fame in a refreshing manner. “Talent Show” alone might feel trite if it did not have “Only the Lonely” as a counterbalance to show the many different manifestations of fame and voyeurism. Together, the shows provide a clear understanding of the dissolution of public versus private in contemporary culture. As a society, we have a fascination with being remembered and preserved. Both shows reflect this obsession upon us and caution the viewer to become more wary of this ever growing mania.