For his installation, James Hoff contrasts Governors Island’s history as a Revolutionary War site with the contemporary use of revolution as a marketing tool in the post-war era. His multi-sensory installation collects some of the domestic products touted as “revolutionary” over the last few decades: sneakers, fabric softener, liquor, M&M's, and underwear all make an appearance. Hoff sees this use of the word as a logical endpoint to the American experiment in which capitalism dissolves critical frameworks and political viewpoints through commodification, thereby creating a citizenry that mistakes purchasing power for that of political agency.
The collaborative, public exhibition will be on view every weekend, Friday through Sunday, 11am–5pm from May 2, 2019 to August 4, 2019. There will be a special opening preview held on Thursday, May 2nd from 1–5pm. The exhibition will be free and open to the public, with monthly programmatic activations and performances.