Osman Khan: Useless Utility at MOCAD

Useless Utility, on view February 1 — April 29 at MOCAD, is an exhibition that examines how post-industrialization has impacted sites of labor and domesticity – and shaped the practice of regional artists. Participating regional artists James Benjamin Franklin, Tyanna Buie, Iris Eichenberg, Osman Khan, Tiff Massey, and Tony Rave create work that speaks to the material legacy of the local area. Useless Utility examines the notion of artist as innovator on the frontier of material-use and modalities for production. Their work encourages us to speculate on the future of industry, domesticity, as well as creation of personal space to build an archive of this time from which future generations can draw from. Useless Utility explores how the lack or manipulation of function in everyday objects impacts interpretation of the self, regional culture, and societal standards through the lens of contemporary art.

Useless Utility is curated by Jova Lynne, Ford Foundation Curatorial Fellow and organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit.

Useless Utility
Exhibition Dates: February 1 – April 21, 2019
Artists Talk: February 28, 2019 6:00 pm — 8:00 pm
Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, 4454 Woodward Ave Detroit, MI 48201