RUPTURED MYTHS OF PRESENT

FRANK JIMIN HOPP | SARA UMAR 

2 FEBRUARY - 14 APRIL 2023

Peculiar Fruit, ceramic pigs, levitating women, and a muscleman. The artworks in Ruptured Myths of Present seem wonderous, even absurd, in their eclectic assemblage of symbols and characters. What at first seems like an almost overwhelming influx of messages constitutes an unexpectedly appropriate collection of stories and experiences of modern-day life. The artists Sara Umar and Frank Jimin Hopp pull the veil on the everpresent archetypes of society, some of which have existed for centuries while others are new actors who enter the stage. This first step of understanding the underlying and often invisible structure leads us to question whether and how we can negotiate our collective past. Is it possible to rupture the ancient forces that linger in contemporary life and, like shapeshifters, adopt new forms? The artworks explore patriarchal and capitalist structures in poetic rhythms; instead of impersonal pathos, they exude understanding and solidarity. Exploring these themes through experience creates an authentic tone in which the viewer can find resonance and the relief of commonality and togetherness. Though we are forced to confront today's dystopia and address trauma, the visitor is not left to grapple with these encounters on their own. On the contrary, through these reconfigured observations of society and acknowledging the solidarity of experience within these artworks, we can imagine a healing world that abandons any neutralizing code of silence.  

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