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Judi Werthein’s project—occasioned by Art in General’s 25th anniversary—is meant to question the corporatization of culture, partially through an investigation of the boons and pitfalls of an art/business partnership. For several reasons, her work falls short of making its point without the viewer having to resort to the exhibition’s accompanying texts; however, the issues it raises are timely.
Touted as the transformation of the gallery into a corporate lobby, the installation consists of a wall-to-wall carpet emblazoned with the artist’s redesign of Art in General’s logo, along with a single L-shaped black bench to the left of the gallery entrance. Werthein is apparently trying to draw a parallel here between Minimalism as high art and minimalism as corporate high style, but without reading her accompanying words, it’s hard to grasp her concept on just the visual evidence alone. There’s nothing really here to suggest a corporate environment, and in fact, a spectator would be at pains to decide where he or she was supposed to be.
The rest of the project is more interesting. The graphic on the carpet, a revamped icon reading AG, has also been imprinted on all gallery correspondence and ephemera to be used during the duration of the five-month show. The suggestion that art is as susceptible to the need for branding as any product asks us to consider the value of such relationships in an overheated market. That question gains more resonance within the setting of Art In General, a nonprofit partially funded by corporate sponsors which often supports non-saleable work. Werthein explores the issue of modern patronage without condemning any of the participants; this part of her venture offers critical thinking at its best.
