Nick Cave’s Forothermore

Going on a quick trip to NYC and looking for something fun to do? Maybe consider checking out Nick Cave’s exhibition at the Guggenheim museum. 

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Nick Cave is an American artist born in 1959. One of his most well known creations are the “soundsuits”—works where he merges the worlds of sculpture and fashion, creating colorful and textured suits. These suits come alive when placed on the body bringing life to his sculptures through pieces of performance art. Cave describes his suits as a form of armor; one in which identity factors such as race, class, and gender are concealed. They invite viewers to look at humans in a completely unbiased way through an innovative and new form. 

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In November, Cave’s work arrived in New York City to create the exhibit titled Forothermore. The title itself is a completely new word—allowing Cave to create the world he desires within the walls of his exhibit. This show is composed of works created all throughout the three decades of his career. Forothermore is an ode to those who feel excluded and diminished by society. It brings light to those who normally don’t get a voice and attempts to bring a sense of inclusion and safety for everyone. 

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Cave’s work is largely inspired by events of violence that have publicly occurred throughout his lifetime, including the assault of Rodney King in the 90s and George Floyd’s death in 2020. His work is a personal response to these events and a commentary on the tendency of history to repeat itself. The armor he creates serves not only to conceal identity, but also as a protection to police brutality and violence. In many of his other exhibits, the suits are worn on bodies as a form of performance art. Through these performances Cave is able to  tap into the viewer's every sense and emotion with choreographed dance, music, sounds from the suits’ materials, as well as the striking visual form and movement of the suits themselves. 

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Cave’s art is about transformation and the importance of showing beauty, even as a form of protection.  On the wall of the exhibit one can find the quote by Cave “I want it to be beautiful, even when the subject is hard. Honey, the question is: How do you want to exist in the world, and how are you going to do the work?” 

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