Darren Bader

(b. 1978)

With a penchant for irony, cuteness, and deadpan humor characteristic of the mid-2010s, Darren Bader’s work examines the role of objects, technology, mass culture, and art historical tradition in the 21st century. Bader’s “sans/trans-medium” practice includes video, GIFs, photography, augmented reality apps, and assemblages of everyday objects, from Amazon delivery totes to the front page of a 2016 New York Post. His work often involves interactive performances and situations that underscore the farcical financialization of the art world: a “sculpture” requiring its owner to purchase every item in a designated eBay seller’s shop, or an artwork that consists solely of money itself raised at an auction. His Pavement Piece #2, installed until recently in the Booth School of Business’ summer garden, consists of a slab made of bananas, clam chowder, and concrete that blended into the tiles of the courtyard.