This Blog Requires That You Read This Post

Is this a problem: The most interesting part of an exhibit is its reference point rather than the art it inspires? "I Drank the Kool-aid," a group show at Anna Kustera gallery, uses Dr. Stanley Milgram's experiment on human obedience to authority as a jumping-off point. However, the video of the experiment on display is more riveting and thought-provoking than anything created by these contemporary artists. In the 1960s, Milgram conducted experiments in which people willingly gave what they thought were harmful electrical shocks to other people (actually actors) under the command that "the experiment requires that you continue." Some participants broke down, but the majority continued despite the actors' screams and pleas to stop. (Here are some audio recordings of the experiment.) None of the artwork can compete with this video. I did, however, like Ari Versluis and Ellie Uyttenbroek's photos of people dressed identically in their hipster uniforms.