Misk Art Institute presents Brand New Ancients

Kate Tempest’s poem, from which this show receives its title, asks us to consider how we have been disconnected from our history, despite the reality that we are intrinsically related to our past, ancestors, and cultural heritage. Her poetry and this show weave a never-ending tale of creation and surprise, connecting the past and the present through oral and material culture. Brand New Ancients looks at how tradition and history influence modern creative practices, and how innovation can and does thrive within traditional means of production rather than being static and archaic. Tradition is sometimes perceived as diametrically opposed to creativity, but the two are inextricably linked: without innovation, traditions die, and without tradition, there is nothing to innovate.

The show, which brings together work by fifteen contemporary artists, digs into material culture and its continuation within contemporary art practice as a method of connecting with and building upon the history of things in the current setting. The show encompasses painting, sculpture, video, photography, and installation, demonstrating how artists are currently probing the porous line between tradition and innovation. The exhibition also aims to emphasize contemporary art’s important role in developing and increasing our knowledge of today’s reality via the use of historical techniques and traditions.