About the Exhibit - Sparks Joy
Dani Leder’s exhibit, Sparks Joy, is her first solo exhibit with Downs & Ross Gallery. The exhibit is on view from October 30th through December 5th.
There wasn’t a lot of back story offered up about the show, just a poem by Valerie Hsiung. I’m assuming by the title that ‘Sparks Joy’ is a reference to Marie Kondo’s philosophy of only having items in your life that ‘Spark Joy.’
Another interesting reference throughout each of the works is a diagram illustrating pleasant and unpleasant cravings coming from the brain. Given that Leder has a Phd in psychology it’s not surprising her works seem to focus on creating a narrative around what’s happening inside the mind and not just a visual setting.
I found a similar, more detailed diagram that describes how as humans we often celebrate and respond to trauma in very similar ways. Here’s an example, if you’re a drinker and you’ve had a rough day at work, what do you do, pour a glass of wine. If you’ve had a great day at work, say you’ve got promoted, you pour a glass of champagne. But regardless of if the triggering event was positive or negative, we respond in the same way.
Video of the Exhibit
To see a walkthrough of the exhibit, skip ahead to 1:07 in the video below.
About the Artists - Dani Leder
Dani Leder is a German artist who lives and works in New York. She received her MFA in painting from Bard College and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from NYU.
