R & Company to Debut its Triennial “Objects: USA 2024” in New York

On September 6 in New York, R & Company raises the curtain on “Objects: USA 2024,” the momentous triennial presentation of its acclaimed 2020 design survey, on view through January 10, 2025. Over 100 works of art developed by 55 designers, studios, and artists will rejoice in the multifaceted splendor of contemporary American object-making. 

With captivating nuance, the milestone exhibition guest-curated by Kellie Riggs and Angelik Vizcarrondo-Laboy spotlights both new visionaries and the luminaries of our time, embracing a patchwork of diverse creatives and their sage perspectives. 

“Objects: USA 2024” Explores Today’s Most Compelling Design 

“After a long period of examining what we believe to be some of the most compelling work being made today, we took on the daunting but exciting task of finding the throughline between 55 unique practices,” explained Riggs and Vizcarrondo-Laboy. “What emerged were seven archetypes that provide a dynamic way to explore object-making, not only within this group but also in the future. We look forward to leveraging these groupings to create a presentation that underscores the complexity of these art forms and offers fresh insight and opportunity to understand this work within our broader cultural landscape.”

“What emerged were seven archetypes that provide a dynamic way to explore object-making,”

— Kellie Riggs and Angelik Vizcarrondo-Laboy

Work by Misha Kahn, Joyce Lin, Richard Chavez, and More

Groundbreaking artists including Venancio Aragon, Richard Chavez, Francesca DiMattio, Ryan Decker, Wally Dion, Justin Favela, Coulter Fussell, Nik Gelormino, Hugh Hayden, Misha Kahn, Minjae Kim, Liam Lee, Joyce Lin, Linda Nguyen Lopez, and more cleverly fuse the realms of art and design in seven far-reaching conceptual groups. Titled Truthsayers, Betatesters, Doomsdayers, Insiders, Mediators, Codebreakers, and Keepers, each enigmatic “archetype of objecthood” beckons visitors into a myriad of avante-garde, imaginative minds.  

Truthsayers place the essence of their beloved materials front and center, highlighting the historic practices of creating hand-made, gradually evolving treasures. Ferne Jacobs of Los Angeles, who specializes in prismatic and trailblazing fiber art, is placed in engrossing conversation with Lonnie Vigil of Nambé Pueblo, New Mexico, a deft artist who juxtaposes fine arts and functional objects in lush Pueblo pottery. 

Keeper Pauline Shaw, based in Brooklyn, forges through felt to ebb and flow as the landscapes of her communities, while Venancio Aragon, based in Farmington, New Mexico, honors a timeless Navajo weaving technique to produce complex, kaleidoscopic tapestries. 

Mediators fully embrace the precious environment, the wonder of identity, and mesmeric links between space, objects, and human beings. New York’s Wally Dion probes Native ecosystems in the form of labyrinthine textile designs, and elevates a rapturous emblem of North American Indigenous people—the Morning Star. Chicago’s Norman Teague is energized by the South Side neighborhood in which he resides, bringing to light the opulent beauty of African aesthetics and time-honored customs in both leatherwork and carving. 

Journey Through the Ongoing Evolution of American Object-Making this September at R & Company

“The Objects: USA triennial offers a singular opportunity to examine the ongoing evolution of American object-making,” added Zesty Meyers and Evan Snyderman, the Co-Founders and Principals at R & Company. “This is a vital and exciting field of creation, and our vision is to share the depth and range of object-making across the country, to highlight the incredible diversity of makers engaging in these processes, and to advance scholarship and connect with audiences well beyond New York. We look forward to working with Angelik and Kellie on Objects: USA 2024 and to the many discoveries that it will yield.”