The Saint Louis Art Museum opened its Currents 118: Elias Sime in July shortly after the reopening of the Museum, and the exhibition will be on view through the end of January. With social distancing, masks, and enhanced safety protocols, the Museum is open to the public, and the art of Sime is well worth a visit.
Standing in front of the large-scale artworks by Sime, it is not immediately clear what materials the artist uses. Upon closer examination, one sees that Sime uses discarded technological materials such as electrical wires, circuit boards, motherboards, and computer keys. Some may label the artists’ materials as recycled, but Sime is more interested in how materials are reclaimed, reused, and given a new aesthetic life. He breaks, weaves, collages, and burns these assorted materials to create abstract images reminiscent of nature, urban cityscapes, and figures.
For Sime, the materials and his artworks tell the story of globalization and our interconnected world. He sees the movement of goods, especially technological refuse, as a system that connects people across the globe. The artworks on view at the Art Museum are part of an ongoing series that Sime titled Tightrope. The works of art in the series embody the advances made possible by technological progress as well as its impact on humanity and nature.
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Sime, born in 1968, grew up in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He sources most of the materials for his art at the Merkato, the biggest open-air market in Africa. Sime is deeply involved in developing the Ethiopian art community and has established a research-practice studying rural communities’ ancient rituals. Sime co-founded Addis Ababa’s Zoma Museum with his long-time collaborator, the curator and anthropologist Meskerem Assegued. The museum, which opened in 2019, comprises a school, farm, garden, library, and space for exhibitions and other projects. The center has a holistic vision of merging art, community engagement, and sustainability.
Currents 118: Elias Sime is the 118th installment of the Saint Louis Art Museum’s popular “Currents” contemporary art series. Founded in 1978, the series showcases artwork created by local, national, and international emerging and mid-career artists. This free exhibition will be on view in Galleries 249 and 250 through January 31. Currents 118: Elias Sime is curated by Hannah Klemm, associate curator of modern and contemporary art, and Molly Moog, research assistant for modern and contemporary art.
