Antoine Catala’s charmingly strange solo show at 47 Canal remakes emojis as extra-terrestrial faces adorning ‘breathing’ socks and shopping bags. Commenting on what he sees as emojis’ sudden ubiquitous and alien presence in our lives, Catala asks what damage is occurring (band-aids are a theme) and how much ‘cute’ we’re willing to consume at what cost. (On view on the Lower East Side through Dec 17th).
French artist Antoine Catala contributed a standout piece to the New Museum’s Triennial last spring by commissioning an ad agency to work on a campaign to promote empathy in an info-saturated age. With similar humor, the man absorbed in his cell phone here is not only acting distant but has the word stitched onto his body in happy, puffy letters. (At Chelsea’s Marlborough Gallery through July 31st.)
Antoine Catala, Feel Images (Distant), digital photograph on suede fabric, cotton, wood, batting, 72 x 48 x 5 ¼ inches, 2015.
