MSCHF, the subversive Brooklyn-based art collective is now represented by Galerie Perrotin. The announcement coincides with an ongoing solo show of works that MSCHF is exhibiting at Perrotin’s newly established space in Los Angeles, dubbed Art 2, which explores the theme of a “second act” through a series of quirky installations.
Founded by Gabriel Whaley in 2016, MSCHF has created some of the most talked about moments within the art world over the past eight years — from asking people to show their bank statements at Art Basel Miami Beach, getting sued by Nike and Vans for the “Satan Shoes” with Lil Nas X and a wavy reinterpretation of the Old Skool Silhouette; and who could forget: the Big Red Boots and the Crocs collaboration that followed.
Operating at roughly 10 members, MSCHF chooses to bypass the artist moniker altogether, opting to go by a collective and referring to their artworks as “drops,” similar to a streetwear release cycle. Love them or hate them, MSCHF has mastered the art of virality, operating at the intersection of low and high, art history and pop culture, recontextualizing recognizable products and iconography to stir controversy and spark dialogues within the masses. “The Jesus shoes were a platform to broach the idea while also making fun of it: that everybody’s just doing a collaboration now,” Whaley previously told The New York Times.
This past week, Perrotin and MSCHF unveiled a new Lenticular painting by the collective at Frieze New York. In one view, Michaelangelo’s David is depicted against a purple cloudy backdrop, while in another, the Carrara marble sculpture transforms into a Super Saiyan — aesthetically similar to the manga-inspired works of Takashi Murakami — as the character clutches his phallus and ejaculates across the painting. “These new composite works distort reality and challenge our perspective on what makes a ‘masterpiece,’” Perrotin said in a statement.
For those in LA, Art 2 will be on view until June 1, 2024.
Perrotin
5036 W Pico Blvd,
Los Angeles, CA 90019
