Kenny Schachter’s Jupiter Show Aims for Aura, Lands Closer to Asbestos

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Kenny Schachter’s recent exhibition at Jupiter on New York City’s Lower East Side commences with an homage to Walter Benjamin’s 1935 essay, “The Work of Art in the Digital Age.” This essay explores concepts like originality, authenticity, and the impact on art when it can be endlessly replicated. Schachter takes this concept and gives it a twist, offering instead an eclectic collection of glitchy paintings, robotic sculptures, and AI-inspired witticisms that are distinctly Schachter’s style.

A portion of the work was created using Matr Labs’ unique robotic painting equipment, and it appears less like an observation on mechanical replication and more like a disorganized chaos. As John Vincler from Cultured stated, “The unsettling texture of this piece is a flaw, not a design element.” One artwork was inspired by asbestos-covered steam pipes found in a rundown New York basement.

Nevertheless, the disorder carries an unexpected logic, as Schachter’s provocative nature is evident and this show aligns well with his satirical, self-referential style. Behind the scenes, there are quieter pieces that seem to take a deeper breath. The Kenny can’t paint collection carries an undertone of vulnerability, despite the title seemingly contradicting it.

Essentially, this exhibition doesn’t make it clear where the human influence ends and the robot takes over, but it’s intriguing. It has a distinctively Kenny Schacter touch, making it worth exploring, despite my having only viewed it digitally so far. The display is ongoing until April 26th.

Jupiter
55 Delancey Street
New York, NY 10002

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2025-04-07 18:55