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Chris Curreri, Pradeep Dalal, Moyra Davey, Bracha L. Ettinger, Hadi Fallahpisheh, Alair Gomes, Hervé Guibert, William E. Jones, Catherine Lord, Ulrike Müller, Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Jason Simon, Dayanita Singh

Compassionate Protocols, curated by Moyra Davey and Jason Simon

Opening: Thursday, January 12, 6–8pm

January 12 – February 19, 2017

A photograph of the gallery with 4 black prints on the left wall on a shelf, leaning; a table with items on it in the middle-ground; a group of 4 items unframed on the temporary wall at right; and an excerpt of an artwork containing magazine spreads on the back wall.

Installation view, Compassionate Protocols, Callicoon Fine Arts, New York, NY, 2017

A photograph of the front quadrant of the gallery: there is a pedestal with an unfurled photography book-object by Dayanita Singh and 2 row of Dayanita Singh's "Museum of chance" on the right wall; at the left temporary wall is a series of 5 artworks in varied sizes, hung salon-style.

Installation view, Compassionate Protocols, Callicoon Fine Arts, New York, NY, 2017

A photograph of the front quadrant of the gallery: Dayanita Singh's unfurled book-object on a pedestal is in the foreground; the background has 2 rows of Dayanita's "Museum of chance" book-objects; at left on the temporary wall is a black and white photograph by Guibert.

Installation view, Compassionate Protocols, Callicoon Fine Arts, New York, NY, 2017

A photograph that details Dayanita Singh's 2 artworks in the exhibit: a excerpt of the "Museum of Chance" hung on the wall; and a portion of her unfurled book-object with it's leather case on the floor, next to the pedestal.

Installation view, Compassionate Protocols, Callicoon Fine Arts, New York, NY, 2017

A photograph of the gallery. We are standing behind Dayanita Singh's unfurled book-object upon a pedestal. In the background are 5 works on the temporary wall at right, and a series of 4 black prints by Pradeep Dalal on the left side. In the distance at left is a photograph by Guibert that is illegible.

Installation view, Compassionate Protocols, Callicoon Fine Arts, New York, NY, 2017

A photograph that details 4 works on the temporary wall. The work at left has 4 lines of text. To the right are three color photographs hung in a loose triangle.

Installation view, Compassionate Protocols, Callicoon Fine Arts, New York, NY, 2017

A photograph of the artworks on the temporary wall: there is a single work with text, 3 works hung in a loose triangle to the right, then a single photograph by Guibert of a man hunched over a desk with light streaming through a window above his head.

Installation view, Compassionate Protocols, Callicoon Fine Arts, New York, NY, 2017

A photograph of 5 artworks on the temporary wall

Installation view, Compassionate Protocols, Callicoon Fine Arts, New York, NY, 2017

A photograph of the front quadrant of the gallery with the gallery's windows. Dayanita Singh's unfurled book-object on a pedestal is in the foreground; in the background are 2 drawings by Bracha Ettinger, and one photograph to the left of them.

Installation view, Compassionate Protocols, Callicoon Fine Arts, New York, NY, 2017

A photograph of the long line down the length of the gallery. The artwork on the back wall of magazine spreads is visible alongside a table in the middle of the room At left is a single photograph by Guibert and 2 drawings by Ettinger.

Installation view, Compassionate Protocols, Callicoon Fine Arts, New York, NY, 2017

A photograph of a set of works near the front of the gallery. At left is a black and white photograph by Guibert that depicts his shadow over an empty couch; at right are two rubbings by Ettinger, stacked on the wall and unframed. The top work has a purple background and illustrates two abstract bodies. The work beneath is on cream paper, and also illustrates 2 people.

Installation view, Compassionate Protocols, Callicoon Fine Arts, New York, NY, 2017

A photograph of a single wall in the gallery. At left is a cluster of artworks by Guibert and Ettinger. At right are 4 works by Pradeep Dalal that are black prints on a white shelf, leaning against the wall.

Installation view, Compassionate Protocols, Callicoon Fine Arts, New York, NY, 2017

A photograph from behind the table in the middle of the gallery. The table has various books and paper upon it. On the wall nearby in the background are 4 prints by Pradeep Dalal, and at left on that wall is a cluster of works by Guibert and Ettinger.

Installation view, Compassionate Protocols, Callicoon Fine Arts, New York, NY, 2017

Another view from behind the table in the middle of the gallery. The table has a multitude of books, photo prints, and papers upon it. In the background on the wall are 4 prints by Pradeep Dalal.

Installation view, Compassionate Protocols, Callicoon Fine Arts, New York, NY, 2017

A close-up view of the table in the middle of the gallery. There is a framed test print in the foreground by Paul Sepuya. Blurry in the background is a work by William E. Jones of magazine spreads.

Installation view, Compassionate Protocols, Callicoon Fine Arts, New York, NY, 2017

A photograph of the back wall of the gallery: there is a table with varied papers and book. On the back wall is the work by William E. Jones of magazine spreads.

Installation view, Compassionate Protocols, Callicoon Fine Arts, New York, NY, 2017

A photograph of the back half of the gallery. At left is a photograph by Guibert in a cream matte, at right is a work by William E. Jones of magazine speads.

Installation view, Compassionate Protocols, Callicoon Fine Arts, New York, NY, 2017

A photograph of the back quadrant of the gallery: there are two large, colorful paintings at the right; at the left are 4 works in a cluster including work by Guibert, Moyra Davey, and another text piece.

Installation view, Compassionate Protocols, Callicoon Fine Arts, New York, NY, 2017

A photograph of a single wall that includes 4 works. There is a Guibert photograph at left, a piece by Moyra Davey, a text work, and another small illegible piece.

Installation view, Compassionate Protocols, Callicoon Fine Arts, New York, NY, 2017

Press Release

Photography has a familiar relationship to chance operations, happy accidents, rewarded risks and unexpected discoveries. No such serendipity applies to the sensation of cruel accident and historical derailment ever more widely shared now. And yet both occur, even together, even often. Two titles here suggested this start: A Throw of the Dice and Museum of Chance

Another recurring theme of photography is the desiring gaze. It can be amorous, it can be rapacious. Before we had even begun to work on our show in earnest, Dayanita Singh posted an encouraging signal in the form of an excerpt from Hervé Guibert’s collection of essays, Ghost Image. Guibert is musing on the difference between the stance required of a Nikon, for instance (upright, potentially confrontational) versus a Hasselblad (bowing over). Guibert’s observations on this difference, so germane to our project, merit quoting at length:

Diffraction

T. brought my attention to the fact that in posing for B.F. who works with a Hasselblad, he felt that the photographer’s gaze was less coercive, because of the deflection involved in the use of the 2 ¼ by 2 ¼ camera, where the photographer looks down with his head bent over the viewfinder in an attitude similar to contemplation (or even prayer). His gaze ricochets off a series of mirrors toward his model; a form of desire has replaced the predatory nature, the directional brutality of the 35 millimeter camera. T. compares this gaze to the equally deflected gaze that is passed from one window to another in the subway for example – when cruising someone. Filtered through its reflection, the gaze loses some of its brutality, gains in impunity… 

Books may be the natural habitat of photography, and many of the works on display speak from that ecology. But an exhibition offers a localized sociality of images, hovering from the work-a-day purpose photos can have in recognizing our own circumstances, to extraordinary perceptions. Compassionate Protocols borrows its title from another book by Guibert, The Compassion Protocol, an end of life account where Guibert is unequivocal about creative work as life-force and final witness, while dispassionately inventorying his physical decay and the search for care.

This is the second exhibition we have curated at Callicoon Fine Arts under the sign of Guibert, this time with works by Chris Curreri, Pradeep Dalal, Moyra Davey, Bracha L. Ettinger, Hadi Fallahpisheh, Alair Gomes, Hervé Guibert, William E. Jones, Catherine Lord, Ulrike Müller, Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Jason Simon, Dayanita Singh.

- Moyra Davey & Jason Simon

For additional information contact Photi Giovanis at info@callicoonfinearts.com, or call 212-219-0326.

Callicoon Fine Arts is located at 49 Delancey Street between Forsyth and Eldridge Streets. Gallery hours are Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 6pm.

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