Eugene Macki: REIFICATION
16th November, 2024 – 30th November 30, 2025
Mattress Factory
509 Jacksonia St
Pittsburgh, PA 15212-4415
The Mattress Factory is proud to unveil REIFICATION, a groundbreaking exhibition by Eugene Macki, a multidisciplinary artist from Hackney, East London. In their largest and most ambitious project to date, Macki continues a decade-long exploration of making the intangible tangible. Through performance, sculpture, and installation, their work becomes a process of transformation and reification.
Upon entering the exhibition, visitors are met with a room where the walls are coated in thick, viscous rubber. A sloped wooden walkway bisects the gallery, stretching the entire length of the space. Surrounding the walkway are hundreds of rubber-coated sculptures, buried within a sprawling landscape of thousands of meticulously cut cardboard pieces. Drawing parallels to the Terracotta Army of China and archaeological sites in Greece, REIFICATION references these ancient monuments while creating an activated site of discovery.
Image courtesy of Mattress Factory
At the far end of the gallery, Macki explores the relationship between the body and space through three starkly shot videos. The videos feature a series of performances by Macki and collaborator Michelle Boulé, filmed in the empty gallery. These performances investigate how movements can activate and transform the space.
REIFICATION also reflects Macki’s fascination with the ubiquity and value of objects. By manipulating simple materials like roofing rubber and cardboard—typically associated with utilitarian purposes—Macki repurposes them to challenge conventional ideas of value. Through this process, the artist encourages us to reconsider the significance we assign to objects and spaces, prompting a reevaluation of what we deem meaningful.
About Eugene Macki
Eugene Macki is a member of the British Art Network and the Royal Society of Sculptors (UK) and was a 2023/24 NXTHVN Studio Fellow in New Haven, CT. Macki holds a Master’s degree in Fine Art from Chelsea College of Arts in London and has participated in residencies at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine and the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art in Oregon, among others.
Macki’s work has been exhibited at prestigious institutions such as the National Liberty Museum in Pennsylvania, The Salisbury Museum in the UK, the Royal Academy of Arts in London, GroundWork Gallery in the UK, Aspex Gallery in the UK, and Socrates Sculpture Park in New York. They recently exhibited with James Cohan Gallery at The Campus.
About Mattress Factory’s International Open Call
Eugene Macki was selected to exhibit at the Mattress Factory through an International Open Call, evaluated by a panel of alumni artists, including Vanessa German, Sohrab Kashani, Christopher Meerdo, and Sarah Oppenheimer. This approach reflects the museum’s commitment to curatorial inclusivity and collaboration, empowering alumni to shape the exhibition landscape through their diverse perspectives and experiences.
Eugene Macki: REIFICATION opens on the 16th of November, 2024 until the 30th of November 30, 2025 at The Mattress Factory
©2024 Mattress Factory
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