Otherworldly: Optical Delusions and Small Realitiesilluminated the phenomenal renaissance of interest among artists worldwide in constructing small-scale hand-built depictions of artificial environments and alternative realities, either as sculpture or as subjects for photography and video. These are worlds of “magic realism” conceived and realized through intense engagement with materials, attention to detail, and concern for meaningful content. In this exhibition, the works were presented as dioramas, models, snow globes, and site-specific installations, as well as through photographs and video.
Otherworldly was made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional support from the Cultural Services of the Québec Government Office in New York and the Collectors Circle, a leadership Museum support group.