“Liliana Porter: Other Situations is a non-linear survey of Porter’s work from 1973 to 2018, which explores the conflicting boundaries between reality and fiction, and the ways in which images are circulated and consumed. The exhibition highlights the fundamental distinction that Porter creates between the notions of ‘narrative’ and ‘situation’ in contrast to the structures implicit in most stories that suggest a relationship with time, and in which the artist is not interested. In her work, the past and future of an action becomes irrelevant in light of the urgency and absurdity of the problems faced by the figures portrayed. Sometimes paired in conversation or arranged in larger groups, Porter’s characters – a pantheon of cultural figures such as Elvis Presley, Che Guevara, Jesus, Mickey Mouse and Benito Juárez – evokes questions about representation, image dissemination and public life, and are particularly relevant in present times, when the fields of politics, spectacle and celebrity culture collide and merge. Among the significant pieces included in the exhibition are Porter’s 1970s photographs alluding to space and the body, and more recent works like the Forced Labor series, in which the artist utilizes miniature figurines to make a statement about reality, labor and self-awareness.” — El Museo del Barrio

The Square V, 1973. Courtesy of Liliana Porter

Disguise Dog Dog, 2007. Courtesy of Liliana Porter

Joan of Arc, Che, Elvis, 2011. Courtesy of Liliana Porter

Porter Memorabilia, 2016. Courtesy of Liliana Porter

To fix it three thirty, 2016. Courtesy of Liliana Porter

Lilana Porter, “Other Situations”, SCAD Museum of Art, Summer 2017. Photograph by Dylan Wilson. Courtesy of SCAD Museum of Art

Lilana Porter, “Other Situations”, SCAD Museum of Art, Summer 2017. Photograph by Dylan Wilson. Courtesy of SCAD Museum of Art

Lilana Porter, “Other Situations”, SCAD Museum of Art, Summer 2017. Photograph by Dylan Wilson. Courtesy of SCAD Museum of Art

Liliana Porter, SCAD Museum of Art, Summer 2017. Photograph by Dylan Wilson. Courtesy of SCAD Museum of Art

“Humans are drawn to art that tells us new and surprising stories, illuminating us and our world in ways we don’t expect, which is exactly what Liliana Porter does in Other Situations, said SCAD president and founder Paula Wallace. “As SCAD shares its Porter exhibition with the esteemed El Museo del Barrio, new audiences of all ages have the opportunity to be transported, and transformed by her work.”

Liliana Porter: Other Situations is organized by SCAD Museum of Art and curated by Humberto Moro, SCAD Curator of Exhibitions.