Alexandre Singh - The Alkahest
The three narratives that comprise this tale move further and further back in time as they weave together geography, recognizable literary fictions, and history. Elements from such sources as Pinocchio, Wagner’s Das Rheingold, The Canterbury Tales and A Thousand and One Nights blend together in a world of Singh’s invention. The Alkahest takes its title from a substance desired by alchemists in the medieval and early renaissance periods. Described as a ‘universal solvent’, this liquid is said to dissolve any matter in to it and the same could be said for Singh’s story. Boundaries blur and worlds collide in Singh’s enchanting and disarming presentation.
Alexandre Singh (b. 1980, Bordeaux) explores a variety of media and exhibition formats, working with literature, collages, installation and performance. Recent exhibitions include: 3 Lectures + 1 Story = 4 Evening, Performa Biennial 09, White Columns, New York; Assembly Instructions (Tangential Logick), Harris Lieberman Gallery, New York; Hello Meth Lab in the Sun, Alexandre Singh & Justin Lowe & Jonah Freeman in collaboration, Ballroom, Marfa, Texas. Recent exhibitions include: Free, New Museum, New York; The School for Objects & The School for Objects Criticized, Monitor Gallery, Rome, Italy.