Caroline Doherty: Ruse de Guerre
March 7 - April 30, 2020
Opening: Saturday March 7, 6-10pm.
It is eight false flags. It is eight true flags. It is truth and it is post truth. It might be a lie.
Made in response to the destabilization of truth in politics and media, the central work in this exhibition is a play on the term false flag, wherein an entity, such as a government, carries out an covert operation in such a way that it appears to have been carried out by another entity. The term originates in naval warfare, when a ship would raise the flag of an opponent, hiding its true identity before a battle. A false flag is considered a ruse de guerre, or ruse of war - an act of military deception. The term is also often used to support conspiracy theories.
In the context of the exhibition, the flags, in concert with made and found objects, new video shot in Lubbock, and a new performance, present conflicting information, asking questions about the impact of humans on themselves and each other, on land, environment, and climate.
Caroline Doherty: Ruse de Guerre is the final exhibition in a series of short-term installations and exhibitions revolving around the theme of “Land” presented from January to March 2020 at CO-OPt Research + Projects. Previously, we exhibited What Can We Make When We Can’t Make War?, a collaborative exhibition by J. Eric Simpson and Cody Arnall; Tumbleweed Rodeo, a performative installation by Sarah Aziz and Jack Craft; and Everything is Collective Open Studio, an exhibition of works in progress by Everything is Collective.
About the artist:
Caroline Doherty is an artist and educator based in Buffalo, NY. She employs multiple mediums, including sculpture, performance, video, and public projects. Residencies include the Squeaky Wheel Workspace Residency in Buffalo, the SOMA Summer Program in Mexico City, the ArtPark Working Artist Residency Program in Lewiston, NY, and Guapamacataro Center for Art and Ecology in Michoacan, Mexico. Recent projects include a permanent outdoor sculpture series at ArtPark, and exhibitions and performances at Indigo Gallery in Buffalo, In/Future at Ontario Place in Toronto, Tsinghua University in Beijing, the Chongjiang Contemporary Art Museum in Chongqing, and CEPA Gallery in Buffalo. Caroline has been an educator for over 15 years, facilitating artmaking for youth, university students, and adults in formal and informal settings in the US, Mexico, and Canada. She holds a BFA in Sculpture from Massachusetts College of Art, and an MFA from the Department of Art at the University at Buffalo (SUNY).
Caroline Doherty: Ruse de Guerre
March 7 - April 30, 2020
Opening: Saturday March 7, 6-10pm.
It is eight false flags. It is eight true flags. It is truth and it is post truth. It might be a lie.
Made in response to the destabilization of truth in politics and media, the central work in this exhibition is a play on the term false flag, wherein an entity, such as a government, carries out an covert operation in such a way that it appears to have been carried out by another entity. The term originates in naval warfare, when a ship would raise the flag of an opponent, hiding its true identity before a battle. A false flag is considered a ruse de guerre, or ruse of war - an act of military deception. The term is also often used to support conspiracy theories.
In the context of the exhibition, the flags, in concert with made and found objects, new video shot in Lubbock, and a new performance, present conflicting information, asking questions about the impact of humans on themselves and each other, on land, environment, and climate.
Caroline Doherty: Ruse de Guerre is the final exhibition in a series of short-term installations and exhibitions revolving around the theme of “Land” presented from January to March 2020 at CO-OPt Research + Projects. Previously, we exhibited What Can We Make When We Can’t Make War?, a collaborative exhibition by J. Eric Simpson and Cody Arnall; Tumbleweed Rodeo, a performative installation by Sarah Aziz and Jack Craft; and Everything is Collective Open Studio, an exhibition of works in progress by Everything is Collective.
About the artist:
Caroline Doherty is an artist and educator based in Buffalo, NY. She employs multiple mediums, including sculpture, performance, video, and public projects. Residencies include the Squeaky Wheel Workspace Residency in Buffalo, the SOMA Summer Program in Mexico City, the ArtPark Working Artist Residency Program in Lewiston, NY, and Guapamacataro Center for Art and Ecology in Michoacan, Mexico. Recent projects include a permanent outdoor sculpture series at ArtPark, and exhibitions and performances at Indigo Gallery in Buffalo, In/Future at Ontario Place in Toronto, Tsinghua University in Beijing, the Chongjiang Contemporary Art Museum in Chongqing, and CEPA Gallery in Buffalo. Caroline has been an educator for over 15 years, facilitating artmaking for youth, university students, and adults in formal and informal settings in the US, Mexico, and Canada. She holds a BFA in Sculpture from Massachusetts College of Art, and an MFA from the Department of Art at the University at Buffalo (SUNY).