Superfake/The Parley

APT Danish artists collective Superflex presents the exhibition SUPERFAKE/THE PARLEY at ASU Art Museum in Arizona. Taking the form of an experimental laboratory or studio, SUPERFAKE/THE PARLEY features new images, video and sculptural works by SUPERFLEX. The commissioned project uses a painting by Frederic Remington as its primary focus to examine issues of authenticity, reproduction and the value of an artwork.

Frederic Remington was a successful artist, journalist and illustrator of the late 19th and early 20th century and well known for his depictions of cowboys, Native Americans and U.S. Calvary. Remington’s imagery was frequently published at his time in newspapers etc. and subsequently collected by museums to the extent that his vision helped shape the global perception of the great American West — even though his subjects often mixed fact with fiction. SUPERFLEX is interested in the social impact Remington has had on the American West genre — both as a storyteller and artist.

SUPERFAKE/THE PARLEY brings into question the cultural misconceptions that arises from famous depictions of historical events that essentially are a mix of truth and fiction. In addition, the project investigates how these artworks are mythologized and valued. Ultimately, as the research uncovered, the beloved Remington was inaccurately recognized. SUPERFAKE/THE PARLEY confronts the emotional value of an artwork — since the painting’s value is reduced to one-tenth of its original amount, will the story of the painting, and perhaps even the fact that it is now part of a SUPERFLEX project, regain its lost worth?

A series of videos and films selected by SUPERFLEX will also be on display at the ASU Art Museum’s video project space, including the iconic 2009 “Flooded McDonald’s” video.

SUPERFAKE/THE PARLEY is the first exhibition in the ASU Art Museum series “Encounter,” where artists re-imagine and re-contextualize the museum collection to address larger issues related to the current social and cultural climate of Arizona and the world at large.