Oleander is a flowering plant that is lovely, its scent alluringly floral, but it can also be deadly if ingested. This exhibition, purposefully named after it (with a precautionary subtitle that spells out its dangers) takes deception and disinformation as its theme, with the added caveat that beauty is no guarantee of beneficence and, often enough, disguises hidden and far more menacing attributes.
Featuring the work of Claire Lieberman and Susan Graham, the show refers to systemic structures that threaten our collective future with incalculable, unimaginable devastation, their duplicity not always apparent. Graham, in intricately delicate sculptures (that are also props for her videos) made of materials such as sugar and porcelain, tells us to be more mindful of the kinds of technology and disruptions we introduce into the world while Lieberman, using classic but somber polished black marble, reminds us that many commonplace objects of play are also objects that valorize violence and destruction. Both artists’ works warn us that we must be more attentive to cause and effect, to agendas that are not readily apparent or have been normalized, made appealing, deploying the same strategy of distraction as oleanders do. They, however, are not trying to poison us, rather, they aim to do the reverse. So please, please, don’t eat the oleanders but do heed the gravity of their message.
Lilly Wei
