Emma Richey - Future Fossils

The current Torggler exhibit Future Fossils—through many different mediums—showcases how the future might view our present society today. The artworks are described as “imagined relics” which explore different technologies and everyday objects that could potentially be deemed artifacts to future generations. These future fossils come from artists based in North America, Latin America, and Europe. Although each artist explores different societal issues and norms, all of their pieces come together to showcase a future “apocalypse.” The Torggler website ends its description as so: “Offering a snapshot of how we live today, Future Fossils reveals aspects of our lives left behind for later generations to decode.”

One of the first creations that caught my eye was Clarissa Tossin’s Vulneravelmente humano, which depicted a spacesuit sprawled on the floor. The materials that Tossin used to create her replication were both natural and manmade—depicting our life on Earth and our continued exploration of space. I truly was captivated by Tossin’s work because it reminded me of NASA’s recent trip around the moon. Although space exploration and astronaut suits are such  current artifacts for us today, in thirty plus years, these artifacts will age and become something that we look back on. This also reminded me of our class discussions about cave artwork. What was once current art, is now something that we reminisce about, looking back at a different time.

Izaak Brandt’s Deadstock Archive: The Classics also amazed me. This artwork portrays a sneaker collection including Air Jordan 1s, BAPESTAs, Adidas Superstars, Nike Air Force 1s, Converse Chuck Taylors, and Reebok Classics hand-drawn PLA with a white powder-coated steel frame. Brandt chose these shoes since sneakers are an “emblem of a culture that values icons.” What really stuck out to me was that Brandt’s interpretation of sneaker collectors shows how some of these sneakers are actually relics in today’s society. Many people choose to collect sneakers that they never wear, deeming them as artifacts that cannot be touched. The journey of how sneakers are utilized and sometimes even honored has come such a long way throughout the past five decades. Thinking about how the future will reflect on artifacts instead of just how we currently reflect on past artifacts has truly expanded my perception on memory as it is something that perpetuates the past, present, and future.