Paradise Syndrome

Silvina Arismendi, Adrian S. Bara, Aldo Chaparro, Juan Fontanive, Ricardo Gonzalez, Alois Kronschlaeger, Alberto Lopez, Norman Mooney, Mario Navarro, Ishmael Randall Weeks, Alfredo de Stefano, Alexis Zambrano

“Paradise Syndrome” refers to a condition of perpetual dissatisfaction, often suffered by those with great wealth who feel that there is nothing further to be achieved. In a materialistic culture, it is an absurd privilege to even imagine such a state: finding that one has too much—the mere suspicion that one, in fact, has it all. Is paradise, then, illusory? Does the existence of the syndrome expose its artificial wooden backbones, like the Hollywood sign, demarcating its topographical entry and exit—disavowing belief in its dreams and wonders?

Evoking an apocalyptic Garden of Eden, the Paradise Syndrome is an exhibition that pushes against traditional notions of paradise, while holding out hope that paradise may exist in other guises. The exhibition suggests the post-fall landscape—brimming with money, lust, order, and chaos. The minimalist arrangement of subtle-but-evocative objects in the space allows the viewer, prodded by the sinful themes suggested by the artwork, to subjectively re-assess their conceptions of “paradise” and, finally, find their own.