Events

Mark Dion and Alexis Rockman: Journey to Nature’s Underworld will be the first two-person survey exhibition of these closely allied artists, offering a compelling tour through their celebrated careers and into the shadowy depths of the threatened natural world.

Mark Dion and Alexis Rockman: Journey to Nature’s Underworld unites over 30 sculptures and paintings by two renowned artists who have explored humanity’s strained relationship with the environment for over 30 years. Both Dion and Rockman have achieved international prominence for their own distinctive practices. They conduct intensive research, using allegory, dark humor, and popular culture to convey their message. Each subverts the authority and objectivity of museums of art and natural history. They ground their studio practice in science and close observation but present it as theater. The title, "Journey to Nature’s Underworld," holds various meanings, including mythic abodes, archaeology, Earth’s subsurface, and unconscious beliefs about nature. Dion and Rockman reflect on our culture's harmful course, balancing the wonder and woe of nature’s condition. Mark Dion and Alexis Rockman: Journey to Nature’s Underworld was curated by Suzanne Ramljak, Chief Curator of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, and organized by the American Federation of Arts.