Alive & Kicking: Fantastic Installations by Thomas Lanigan-Schmidt, Catalina Schliebener Muñoz, and Gladys Nilsson

In popular use since about 1830, the expression “alive and kicking” originated among fishmongers to advertise a fresh catch. Both now and then, the turn of phrase emphasizes that something or someone is particularly and especially alive. 

This exhibition brings together three contemporary artists remarkable for their punchy, surreal installations. Gladys Nilsson and Catalina Schliebener Muñoz contribute original works, made on-site in the gallery. Their spirited, strange, cartoonish scenes are complemented by Thomas Lanigan-Schmidt’s Mysterium Tremendum (late 1980s), a quasi-autobiographical tale illustrated across 125 aluminum lasagna pans. All incorporate eccentric figuration, whimsical storytelling, and lived experience, illuminating the fantastic in the everyday.

These installations have spunk, grit, and exuberance. Though elements of identity come into play, none of the work is didactic. Instead, each artist imbues their creations with animated, off-kilter qualities. They celebrate popular media and so-called low culture through familiar themes and materials—with a twist. The work taps into feelings that are sometimes sweet, sometimes sour, but always resilient, with a dash of comedy and an abundance of visual splendor.

Alive & Kicking is curated by Kendall DeBoer, Assistant Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art.