12.5–12.9.2023

Alex Kerr
NADA Miami 2023

For NADA Miami 2023 NOON Projects is honored to present a series of ceramic sculptures by Los Angeles-based artist Alex Kerr.

Kerr builds dizzying, technicolor worlds for himself to hide out in, or at least pretend to. His practice explores ways of seeing and being seen through dramaturgic tropes — the harlequin, the vanity mirror, the curtain, the audience applause sign, the clown, the mask — icons of a stylized version of razzle-dazzle stage productions. These images comprise an existential iconography that questions the singular ways Kerr masks, or mascs, through the freedom and farce of daily performance.

Where does the stage begin and end? Is the act catharsis or trap? Is there truth at the bottom of the lie? Utilizing repetition, redundancy, and disquieting color & pattern, Kerr renders otherwise blithe scenes suddenly uncomfortable or embarrassing — distorted funhouses that veil Kerr’s darkest inquiries into authentic selfhood and idiosyncratic queer identity.

At NADA Miami 2023, NOON Projects presents a series of Kerr’s ceramic sculptures that explore themes of performance, masking, hiding, and illumination. Wired and electrified, the sculptures can function as lamps, with an integrated electrical system governing their performative essence. When switched off, the object presents itself as a sculpture, and when turned on, it transforms into a lamp. This duality (sculpture/lamp, art/craft, underground/aboveground) and its potential for metamorphosis, transformation, and concealment are controlled by the light. The performer becomes so ingrained in the performance that often they themselves are unaware of whether it is off or on, frequently leaving that decision to the viewer/audience.

With wiring and internal lighting within the clay bodies, the majority of light is focused on illuminating the interior, showcasing how much of the performance nobody sees and is hidden from the outside world. In this new body of work, the sculptures will focus their light in new ways – hidden light, bright light, and soft glows from concealed places. With the light switch accessible to the viewer, a third state is created: from off to on, on to off, a state of equilibrium.

Fair

Booth D106

December 5–9, 2023
Ice Palace Studios
Miami, Florida

VIP Preview (by Invitation)
Tuesday, December 5: 10am–4pm Wednesday, December 6: 10am–11am

Open to the Public:
Tuesday, December 5: 4–7pm
Wednesday, December 6: 11am–7pm
Thursday, December 7: 11am–7pm
Friday, December 8: 11am–7pm
Saturday, December 9: 11am–6pm

︎︎︎ Click HERE to view Catalogue