Mike Kelley: Kandors 1999 – 2011 - The Stolen City of Superman - Exhibit

This past weekend I had the chance to see one of the current exhibits @ Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles.

The exhibit featured Mike Kelley's multiple representations of Superman's birthplace - known as the city of Kandor of planet Krypton.

If you are not familiar with the story I do recommend reading it as it is quite interesting - however for the purposes of understanding and enjoying the coming photographs within the right context, I would like to provide a brief recital of Kandor's history.

A supervillain named Brainiac miniaturized the city and stole it away in a bottle from the planet (Krypton) that was subsequently destroyed. There are several different versions of the story as to what happened afterwards, but the one most of us are familiar with is probably the one we remember from the comics.

My favorite short interpretation is the one in which Superman finds out that the city was not destroyed, and was able to recover the miniature version from Brainiac.

Superman kept the miniature city safe under a bell jar with the help of Kryptonic atmosphere.

Mike Kelly made several (21) representations of the city between the period of 2005 through 2009 and the full set on display for the first time is the one currently presented at Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles.

Below are a some additional images of the cast-resin, miniature sculptures representing the multiple interpretations the artist translated into a physical, three-dimensional body. An embodiment of a fictional city from a fictional story that, in one way or another, everyone is familiar with.

I hope you enjoyed. To learn more about the exhibit and the artist you can visit Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles - https://www.hauserwirthlosangeles.com/exhibitions/mike-kelley-kandors-1999-2011-20171021

Thank you!