BACKSTROKE OF THE WEST

Over the weekend, I went to the Museum of Contemporary art. I've wanted to view Murakami's exhibit, since its opening a month ago, but I did not make it my priority so I did not have any other opportunity to view but this past weekend, as the show came down of Sunday. Well... I waited too long. By the time I got to the MCA register, tickets were sold out for Saturday and Sunday. Really really disappointed! I made a donation of $1 and went in to see what's new.

Almost immediately I encountered Michael Rabowitz's exhibit "Backstroke of the West" (https://mcachicago.org/Exhibitions/2017/Michael-Rakowitz). I read that Rabowitz is a Chicago-based artist and that this is his "...first even museum survey..." who makes work "...that explores recent contested social, political, and cultural histories..." I learned that he grew up with an Iraqi-Jewish mother and a NorthAmerican father.

I entered the large room and immediately I found myself immersed in the land of current conflicts and clash of cultures. The exhibit is vast and delivers what the statement explains in a clear and bold, confronting the viewer with history of our times which all of us are part of.
And he explains that how the exhibit at large "...collectively address how art can be a space of reconstruction...    

With the many paper cache sculptures he revives "destroyed and looted objects"and post the question of how art can heal bleeding wounds.

As an artist and art psychotherapist, I can see how the work exhibited could have been a healing space for the artist. I do question though, viewers participation in the artist's healing space .... I left the exhibit wondering about the impact of the show on the viewers ...

If you are around... this is a show to see over and over ... much to see... a lot to process ...