Turandot's Riddles 2001

Curator: Turandot’s Riddles by John Himmelfarb presents a dense field of symbols and text fragments on a sheet. The visual weight of this piece makes me wonder about the labor and process involved in its creation. Editor: I'm struck by the contrast between the dark background and the array of shapes. What's your interpretation of the materiality at play here? Curator: I see it as a commentary on consumption and production. The fragmented forms suggest mass production, while the handmade quality implies a critique of that very process. How does the title inform your understanding of the work? Editor: It makes me consider how the riddles might represent complex societal structures, like layers of production, perhaps? Curator: Exactly. And those riddles, unsolved, might point to inherent problems within those systems. Editor: I see that now. The piece feels less abstract and more like a complex commentary on labor and society. Curator: Precisely. It encourages us to question the means of production and consumption.