How do we even begin to understand the complex systems of value that shape our world and dictate our lives? The exhibition, For What It’s Worth: Value Systems in Art since 1960, directly confronts this question, bringing together a diverse collection of 80 artists spanning generations and global perspectives. This groundbreaking exhibition delves into one of the most pressing issues of our time: the escalating challenges to established value systems as they clash with social, political, and cultural power dynamics. Rooted in the conceptual art movements of the 1960s and 1970s, the exhibition builds upon the foundational strategies of this pivotal era, highlighting their enduring relevance in both the art world and contemporary society.
The Warehouse serves as the venue for this thought-provoking exhibition, and as is customary, the curatorial process began with an in-depth examination of The Rachofsky Collection. The impetus for “For What It’s Worth” was a desire to more closely analyze the conceptually driven works within the collection. Significant pieces by influential artists such as Giulio Paolini, Jiro Takamatsu, John Latham, Mario Merz, Judy Chicago, Piero Manzoni, Sherrie Levine, Mona Hatoum, and Felix Gonzalez-Torres serve as crucial anchors within the exhibition. These seminal works act as guiding principles, informing a series of interconnected themes that unfold across the 16 distinct galleries of The Warehouse.
A palpable awareness of the instability of current value systems permeates many of today’s significant social transformations, protests, psychological experiences, and philosophical inquiries. The exhibition aspires to create an immersive experience, fostering a series of dialogues surrounding the very systems that embed values within the fabric of society. The exhibition’s journey begins even before entering the building, extending into the lobby space. This deliberate choice is intended to immediately address the inherent values of the art institution itself, utilizing artworks that specifically reflect upon this transitional space between the external world and the internal realm of art.
The initial galleries are designed to raise fundamental questions concerning the relationship between the individual and the collective – the dynamic between the singular and the multiple. Furthermore, these spaces explore the significant roles of history and power in shaping these intricate dynamics. Moving deeper into The Warehouse, the central gallery, and the subsequent three spaces, shift focus towards the institutions that govern the art world. This section examines both the overarching structures of the art market and cultural establishment, as well as the deeply ingrained historical and academic values associated with artistic materials and processes.
From this focused examination of the art world, the exhibition expands its scope outwards. It ventures beyond the confines of art itself to investigate the value systems that influence our contemporary understanding of the natural world and environmental concerns. The exhibition then delves into the abstract yet powerful systems of currency and the global flow of economic value. Continuing this exploration, it examines the value systems inherent in language itself and the very act of measurement and quantification.
As visitors progress through the galleries, the exhibition increasingly centers on the human body. It considers the body both as a social entity, constantly evaluated and categorized by external systems of judgment and societal norms, and as the physical, corporeal body – a tangible site where personal and cultural values converge and are experienced.
The pervasive influence of technology is a recurring thread throughout “For What It’s Worth.” Technology is presented both as a dominant mode of contemporary communication, shaping how values are disseminated and contested, and as the very medium through which artists explore emerging concepts like cryptocurrency, Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), and the evolving landscape of video games as cultural and economic forces.
The exhibition culminates in a final gallery dedicated to probing the systems humans construct to make sense of the unknown and the intangible. This concluding section delves into notions of mythology, our understanding of the cosmos, and even the enduring power of magic. Through these explorations, the exhibition aims to reveal the often-strange and unexpectedly poetic gaps that exist within human attempts to fully comprehend the vast and complex world around us. Ultimately, For What It’s Worth encourages visitors to critically examine the value systems that shape their own lives and the broader world, prompting reflection and dialogue on these fundamental structures.
