Hyperobject: Art in the Age of YOLO*
Exhibition dates: June 15 – August 17, 2024
Opening Reception: Saturday, June 15 | 5:00PM – 8:00PM
Los Angeles, CA (May 28, 2024) – Hyperobject: Art in the Age of YOLO* explores the digital sublime. Through the lens of seven contemporary artists born between 1991 and 2003—the first generation to have consumed digital media their entire lives—these artists investigate where reality ends and virtual reality begins through the conscious and unconscious impact of digital forces in their artwork. The hyperobject, a term coined by Timothy Morton to describe the Internet as a process that is not seen, but felt, is used to reflect this experience. The Internet slang acronym “YOLO,” which means “you only live once,” became a popular phrase used during the adolescent years of the artists in this exhibition, capturing this specific generation of art and artists in time: art in the age of YOLO. Artists featured in the exhibition are Ryan Crudgington, Chandler Dangaard, Mae Noland, Violet Treadwell Hull, Peña Espinoza Peña, Felix Quintana, and Gabriel Tolson, who explore the power of the pixel, archives of the Google search engine, inextricable digital and bodily melds, and technology as a nostalgic vessel. An opening reception for the exhibition will take place at the FOCA gallery on Saturday, June 15, 2024 from 5pm–8pm.
Hyperobject: Art in the Age of YOLO* is an exhibition curated by Emma Diffley. It is accompanied by a printed catalog designed by Malaya Malandro, and includes artist statements and short essays written by the curator. Special thanks to Joes Segal, Gina Segall, Alfredo Hernandez, and Angel Xotlanihua. Hyperobject: Art in the Age of YOLO* will be on view at FOCA (Fellows of Contemporary Art) from June 15, 2024—August 17, 2024. An online Zoom program will be announced in July 2024, which will feature a conversation between curator Emma Diffley and scholar and art journalist Gabriella Gasparini, author of article, What is the Digital Sublime?, to explore themes of the hyperobject and the digital sublime in contemporary artwork in reflection of the exhibition.
Curator Bio
Emma Diffley is an artist and curator based in Los Angeles. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in painting and minor in Entrepreneurship from Otis College of Art and Design (2021). She is currently the Associate Curator at the Wende Museum (2022–present).
Contact
Emma Diffley
Email: eldiffley@gmail.com
Instagram: @emmadifs
