21c Durham Raises Jayson Musson’s “A Horror” Flag in Tandem with Creative Time

Musson’s​ ​flag,​ ​forces​ ​the​ ​viewer​ ​to​ ​engage​ ​in​ ​an​ ​all​ ​too​ ​befitting​ ​commentary​ ​on​ ​our​ ​political​ ​present. “​While​ ​Walter​ ​Benjamin​ ​referred​ ​to​ ​the​ ​history​ ​of​ ​civilization​ ​as​ ​a​ ​history​ ​of​ ​barbarism,​ ​Jayson​ ​Musson​ ​sees​ ​this phenomena​ ​in​ ​the​ ​spirit​ ​of​ ​SAW,​ ​Leprechaun​ ​2,​ ​and​ ​The​ ​Exorcist.​”​ ​said​ ​Nato​ ​Thompson,​ ​Artistic​ ​Director​ ​at Creative​ ​Time.

“I​ ​find​ ​patriotism​ ​lazy;​ ​I​ ​was​ ​born​ ​Here,​ ​therefore​ ​Here​ ​is​ ​great,”​ ​said​ ​Jayson​ ​Musson.​ ​“Patriotism​ ​is​ ​a​ ​part​ ​of​ ​the progression​ ​of​ ​history​ ​in​ ​which​ ​a​ ​few​ ​mighty​ ​sovereign​ ​states​ ​crushed​ ​nearly​ ​the​ ​entirety​ ​of​ ​the​ ​globe​ ​underfoot in​ ​pursuit​ ​of​ ​their​ ​inalienable​ ​rights​ ​which​ ​more​ ​often​ ​than​ ​not,​ ​was​ ​simply​ ​the​ ​pursuit​ ​of​ ​riches.”

As part of 21c’s partnership with Creative Time, a new artist-designed flag will be installed at 21c Durham on the same day the flag is raised at Creative Time headquarters in New York City and at other partner sites for the next six months.

In a gesture of solidarity, the flag will be raised simultaneously at the following seven locations: Creative​ ​Time​ ​headquarters​​ ​at​​ ​59​ ​E​ ​4th​ ​Street​​ ​in​ ​New​ ​York,​ ​NY, University​ ​of​ ​South​ ​Florida​ ​Contemporary​ ​Art​ ​Museum​ ​​in​ ​Tampa,​ ​FL, Museum​ ​of​ ​Contemporary​ ​Art​ ​Detroit​ ​(MOCAD)​ ​​in​​ ​​Detroit,​ ​MI, Herbert​ ​F​ ​Johnson​ ​Museum​ ​of​ ​Art​ ​​at​ ​Cornell​ ​University​ ​in​ ​Ithaca,​ ​NY, KMAC​ ​Museum​ ​​in​ ​Louisville,​ ​KY, RISD​ ​Museum​ ​​at​ ​Rhode​ ​Island​ ​School​ ​of​ ​Design​ ​in​ ​​Providence​,​ ​ and 21c​ ​Museum​ ​Hotel​ ​​in​ ​Durham,​ ​NC. Musson’s flag will fly for the remainder of the month before being replaced by the next Pledges of Allegiance flag.

> Learn more about the project

Image: 21c Museum Hotels presents A Horror, by ​Jayson​ ​Musson, part of Creative Time’s Pledges of Allegiance. Pledges of Allegiance was originally conceived by Alix Browne and developed in collaboration with Cian Browne, Fabienne Stephan, and Opening Ceremony.

ABOUT JAYSON MUSSON
Brooklyn-based​ ​artist​ ​Jayson​ ​Musson​ ​burst​ ​onto​ ​the​ ​scene​ ​in​ ​2010​ ​in​ ​the​ ​form​ ​of​ ​his​ ​online​ ​hip-hop​ ​alter ego,​ ​Hennessy​ ​Youngman,​ ​offering​ ​hilarious​ ​and​ ​strident​ ​discourses​ ​on​ ​contemporary​ ​art​ ​and​ ​its discontents​ ​through​ ​his​ ​video​ ​series,​ ​​Art​ ​Thoughtz​,​ ​which​ ​quickly​ ​became​ ​an​ ​Internet​ ​phenomenon.​ ​​ ​In his​ ​non-video​ ​work,​ ​he​ ​also​ ​works​ ​in​ ​the​ ​productive​ ​gap​ ​between​ ​high​ ​and​ ​low​ ​culture.​ ​In​ ​writing, performance​ ​and​ ​visual​ ​art​ ​that​ ​incisively​ ​satirizes​ ​and​ ​confuses​ ​pop​ ​culture​ ​and​ ​the​ ​art​ ​world,​ ​Jayson Musson​ ​provokes​ ​the​ ​boundaries​ ​that​ ​define​ ​cultural​ ​stereotypes.​ ​Musson’s​ ​consideration​ ​of​ ​a​ ​public extends​ ​beyond​ ​the​ ​confines​ ​of​ ​art​ ​institutions,​ ​deliberately​ ​entering​ ​the​ ​open​ ​arenas​ ​of​ ​mass​ ​media. Musson’s​ ​latest​ ​solo​ ​exhibition,​ ​​Demon​ ​All​ ​Day​,​ ​opened​ ​in​ ​May​ ​at​ ​Salon​ ​94​ ​in​ ​New​ ​York​ ​City.