James Cohan opens an exhibition of new work by Elias Sime
TIGHTROPE: ECHO!?, 2021. Reclaimed electrical components on panel with two megaphones, 45 1/4 x 47 1/4 x 16 in. 114.9 x 120 x 40.6 cm.
NEW YORK, NY
.-James Cohan is presenting TIGHTROPE: ECHO!?, an exhibition of new work by Elias Sime, on view at 48 Walker Street from March 19 through April 24. This is Simes fourth solo exhibition at James Cohan. TIGHTROPE: ECHO!? is accompanied by an essay written by curator and anthropologist Meskerem Assegued, with whom Sime co-founded the Zoma Museum.
Elias Sime deftly weaves, layers and assembles materials into abstract compositions that suggest topography, figuration, and sublime color fields. The history of his materials hold meaning, as they are the backbone of all communication systems, whether they be telephone or computer. They suggest the tenuousness of our interconnected world, alluding to the frictions between tradition and progress, human contact and social networks, nat
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Just two years ago Zoma Museum founder, Meskerem Assegued, hosted a gathering of several well-regarded US gallerists, curators, institute directors and more. Amongst the group was African American Naomi Beckwith, Senior Curator for Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MOCA); now New York Guggenheim’s fresh pick as Deputy Director and Chief Curator. By the way she was the only Black person in the prestigious delegation of visiting participants at Zoma. For the record, connections between the Guggenheim and Ethiopian artists include the multi-million USD exhibition of Ethiopian born American, Julie Meheretu, and Zoma’s co-founder and ingenious artist, Elias Sime, recently nominated for the Guggenheim’s $100K 2020 Hugo Boss Prize. The Guggenheim is as big as it gets in the art world, thus Naomi’s appointment is an immense win and Black folks in the arts are proud, hopeful and tickled brown. Beckwith stated, “One cannot overstate the iconicity an