A tip for those in Amsterdam, or heading to Amsterdam, is a visit to the posthumous retrospective of American artist MIKE KELLEY at the STEDELIJK MUSEUM – the museum’s first major show since its decade long renovation. The exhibition is big, containing over 200 photographs, sculptures, paintings, installations, videos and performances over two floors that span the artist’s four decade-long career. Yet, impressively, it’s not at all oppressive or overwhelming. The curation lacks the typical hand-holding that has become the norm at institutional retrospectives, which matches well with the manic strictness of KELLEY’s work. Our favourites? ‘Rainbow Coalition’ from 1985, a mish-mash of rainbow balls accompanied by the caption ‘Oh Glorious Sun of Rainbow Afro Wigs’, and ‘Lumpenprole’ (1991), pictured above, a gigantic Afghan rug with stuffed animals hidden underneath.
















COMMENTS