Twenty-five years is a long time to wait for a major retrospective on home turf, but for American artist Chris Burden, the delay appears to be well worth it. The pioneering artist, who has enjoyed a prolific career spanning 40 years, is the centre of a major exhibition 'Extreme Measures' at New York's New Museum, quarter of a decade since his last big US show. Bringing together an extensive collection of past and present works that encompass sculpture, video, performance and installation, the exhibition is an inspiring homage to the enigmatic artist and is set to throw him back into the fore.
Taking over all of the New Museum's five floors, 'Extreme Measures' is a demonstration of Burden's dexterity in working with different media. From kinetic sculptures like 'The Big Wheel' from 1979, which consists of a three-ton spinning flywheel powered by a 1968 Benelli 250cc motorcycle, to the performance piece 'Beam Drop' and its iterations in more recent works like 'Inhotim' and 'Antwerp' - all see 60 steel I-beams dropped into an excavation site filled with wet cement from over 100 feet high - the arresting works are powerful manifestations of Burden's thematic explorations, which touch on engineering, politics, authority and the military, among other themes.
While the kinetic works are undoubtedly dramatic, it is Burden's knack for installations that is truly wondrous. 'All the Submarines of the United States of America' from 1987, for example, comprises 625 miniature submarines hanging by thin microfilaments from the ceiling. Each cardboard model corresponds to every US Navy submarine launched from 1897 to the year it was created. Across the room, a sprawling diorama made up of five thousand toy robots, vehicles and figures depict two cities at war in a sandy, rocky landscape - again serving as critical commentary for military authority.
Burden's newly unveiled works - two intricate, yet mammoth depictions of bridges made from concrete and Mysto Type I Erector parts respectively - also make the most of this life-like quality. Both constructions spread comfortably hinting back at Burden's study of architecture back in college.
Capping off the show (literally) is another installation on top of the New Museum building. Twin aluminium-frame skyscrapers, resembling the World Trade Centre towers and weighing 8,100 lbs each, stand majestically on the building's room, proving that time has done little to quell Burden's ambitious spirit. For that, we are grateful.
'Ghost Ship', 2005, is also docked on the facade of the museum. Courtesy New Museum, New York.
Inside the museum, a video installation charts the original 400-mile semi-autonomous journey undertaken by the 'Ghost Ship' from Fair Isle to the mouth of the Tyne River in Britain. Courtesy New Museum, New York.
Burden's newly unveiled works for the show include two intricate bridge constructions. Pictured is 'Triple 21 Foot Truss Bridge', 2013. Courtesy New Museum, New York
'Three Arch Dry Stack Bridge, 1/4 Scale', 2013, a mortar-less bridge held together purely by gravity. Courtesy New Museum, New York.
Past works in the retrospective include: 'The Big Wheel', 1979. Collection The Museum of Contemporary Art Collection, Los Angeles
'All the Submarines of the United States of America', 1987, comprises 625 miniature cardboard submarines. Courtesy New Museum, New York.
'Mexican Bridge', 1998. Courtesy New Museum, New York.
Installation view of 'Extreme Measures'. Courtesy New Museum, New York.
'Tower of Power', 1985. Courtesy New Museum, New York.
'A Tale of Two Cities', 1981. Courtesy New Museum, New York.
The installation is comprised of two miniature cities made from approximately five thousand toys, sand, plants, and boulders. Courtesy New Museum, New York
'L.A.P.D. Uniforms', 1993. Courtesy New Museum, New York.
'The Rant', 2006. Courtesy New Museum, New York.
'Beam Drop', 1984, Art Park, Lewiston, NY.
'1 Ton Crane Truck', 2009.
'Full Financial Disclosure', 1977. Los Angeles, California
'Dos Equis', 1972.
ADDRESS
New Museum
235 Bowery
New York 10002
-
The Audi Q6 e-tron offroad concept takes the company’s ‘offroad’ sub-brand to new heightsA conceptual vision of an all-electric off-roader showcases Audi’s new emotive approach to EV design and technology
-
Indian artist Rithika Merchant on her fantastical show set for Dior couture: ‘It’s about building a wonderland’Rithika Merchant tells Wallpaper* the story behind her immersive work ‘The Flowers We Grew’, which backdropped Maria Grazia Chiuri’s Alice in Wonderland-inspired S/S 2025 couture show in Paris yesterday (27 January 2025)
-
2025 Serpentine Pavilion: this year's architect, Marina Tabassum, explains her designThe 2025 Serpentine Pavilion design by Marina Tabassum is unveiled; the Bangladeshi architect talks to us about the commission, vision, and the notion of time
-
Sundance Film Festival 2025: The films we can't wait to watchSundance Film Festival, which runs 23 January - 2 February, has long been considered a hub of cinematic innovation. These are the ones to watch from this year’s premieres
-
What is RedNote? Inside the social media app drawing American users ahead of the US TikTok banDownloads of the Chinese-owned platform have spiked as US users look for an alternative to TikTok, which faces a ban on national security grounds. What is Rednote, and what are the implications of its ascent?
-
Architecture and the new world: The Brutalist reframes the American dreamBrady Corbet’s third feature film, The Brutalist, demonstrates how violence is a building block for ideology
-
Inside Luna Luna: the amusement park designed by artists lands in New York‘Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy’ – featuring rides by Basquiat, Lichtenstein, Hockney, Haring, and Dalí – has opened at The Shed
-
Henni Alftan’s paintings frame everyday moments in cinematic renditionsConcurrent exhibitions in New York and Shanghai celebrate the mesmerising mystery in Henni Alftan’s paintings
-
Brutalism in film: the beautiful house that forms the backdrop to The Room Next DoorThe Room Next Door's production designer discusses mood-boarding and scene-setting for a moving film about friendship, fragility and the final curtain
-
'There’s an anxiety under all of it': Violet Dennison in New YorkViolet Dennison debuts abstract paintings with new show 'Damaged Self' at Tara Downs Gallery
-
‘Gas Tank City’, a new monograph by Andrew Holmes, is a photorealist eye on the American West‘Gas Tank City’ chronicles the artist’s journey across truck-stop America, creating meticulous drawings of fleeting moments
