In a manner akin to a hall of mirrors or a Borgesian labyrinth, the work of Marcel Duchamp prompts us to consider the past as it perpetually influences the future. Thierry de Duve, a scholar, lauds a kind of mise en abyme in the latest Duchamp exhibition at MoMA, which showcases not one but seven ‘boîtes-en-valise.’ These are ingenious miniature exhibitions-in-a-box, conceived by Duchamp well before his first retrospective in a museum. ‘This is Duchamp’s typical genius,’ de Duve remarked to Associate Editor Lisa Yin Zhang. ‘I believe he foresaw the museum’s logic.’
Their discussion delves into the implications of existing in a ‘post-Duchamp’ era. Concurrently, our correspondents deliver insights from art fairs spanning Chicago to São Paulo, returning to New York, where print art is prominently featured. Additionally, this Wednesday, April 15, you’re invited to join MacArthur ‘Genius’ grant recipient Tonika Lewis Johnson and me for a virtual dialogue on her social practice art and the process of unlearning segregation’s logic.
In reflecting on MoMA’s new exhibit, scholar Thierry de Duve observed, ‘The art world has transformed. Duchamp’s ‘Fountain’ is the message that signals this change.’ | Lisa Yin Zhang
