Confectus by Kriss Ruso, an enigmatic artist examines visceral relationship with plastics, using the plastic bag as a vehicle to explore the broader social and political dynamics of a globalized world.
With its prime role in utility, the plastic bag is an object that has become ubiquitous across cultures. The plastic bag represents an idea of efficiency, sterility and cleanliness. It is a mass produced object, one that drives the movement and circulation of goods. Plastic is a symbol of international trade, consumerism and our patterns of consumption. It is also the culprit of pollution, ecological issues and environmental devastation. In short, plastic represents the slow violence of fast capitalism, conjuring dystopian nightmares.
Russo uses this raw material, and its weighted significance, to articulate narratives of enchantment. Plastic becomes the potential site for a transcendental experience. Russo is interested in the way that phenomena can simultaneously manifest characteristics of disenchantment and fascination, at once with banality and with awe.
The exhibition includes a series of light box installations, where multicolored layered plastic collages emit translucently through electric light. Built to be used in offices and commercial buildings, these generic light boxes morph into canvases for geometric abstraction. At times, Russo’s bright color scheme evokes the childlike wonder of confetti. In others, she references Tibetan prayer flags.
Evocative of stained glass and the enlightened experiences of religious architecture, these light boxes become industrial mandalas, objects of contemplation and meditation.
Kris Russo is an American artist who works in installation and mixed media. Russo has recently participated in the Dak’Art Biennale as the children’s curator and created a site-specific installation for the Lagos Biennial in 2017. Russo completed a three month artist residency with the Arthouse Foundation in Lagos in Spring 2019.
The Arthouse Foundation is an artist residency programme that takes place in the city of Lagos, Nigeria, offering residencies for artists throughout the year in three-month sessions. The Arthouse Foundation aims to encourage the creative development of contemporary art in Nigeria by providing a platform for artists to expand their practice and experiment with new forms and ideas. Each session, artists are provided with a live/work studio and logistical support to develop a new artistic project that engages the city of Lagos. Residencies include workshops, artist talks and a final exhibition.
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