Sameer Reddy
Apokalypsis Now
February 15 - April 6, 2013
Sameer Reddy
Apokalypsis Now
Curated by Tali Wertheimer
February 15 – April 6, 2013
Institute 193, Lexington
For Reddy, the roles of the artist and the shaman often overlap. He embraces the notion of using art as a tool for engaging the fundamental mysteries of the human experience, and also for affecting healing on a personal, as well as a societal level. Reddy proposes that aesthetic forms of expression have spiritual potential. In his work, he employs imagery appropriated from religious iconography, advertising, pop culture, and fairy tales, tweaking familiar archetypes to explore and expand the concept of sacredness. His sculptures, photographs, and performance pieces are intended to function as cathartic agents for a viewer or participant, encouraging a transcendent shift in perception.
Reddy’s performance at Institute 193 took the form of a series of one-on-one healing rituals that incorporate symbolic elements of Buddhist thought, Christian baptism, and rites that originated on the African continent. The performance is an experiment in understanding and engaging with doubt; participants did not have to subscribe to any particular belief system.
His exhibition included a series of sculptures and installations that are simultaneously props for his performance and stand-alone pieces that can function independently of the ritual. Reddy considers these works icons, relics imbued with reparative power.
Press:
Artist provides rebirth experience by Rich Copley, Lexington Herald-Leader, February 17, 2013