This Point Is Exactly Midway Between Two Other Points

Karen Azoulay, Chioma Ebinama, Kalup Linzy, Micahel Mahalchick, David Mramor, Corey Presha and Phyllis Yao
Curated by Brooke Tomiello and Paul Keefe
Tiger Strikes Asteroid, New York
February 18 - March 28, 2021

BROOKLYN, NY -Tiger Strikes Asteroid is pleased to present This Point is Exactly Midway Between Two Other Points, a group exhibition curated by Brooke Tomiello and Paul Keefe. This exhibition unravels the multiple themes within shapeshifting, found in the artworks on view by Karen Azoulay, Chioma Ebinama, Kalup Linzy, Micahel Mahalchick, David Mramor, Corey Presha and Phyllis Yao. 

Shapeshifting is defined as the ability to physically transform through superhuman ability, divine intervention, demonic manipulation, sorcery, spells or an inherited ability. Originating in mythology, folklore and speculative fiction, it has become ubiquitous in contemporary myth and fantasy. There are two circumstances under which a character is able to change form: voluntarily, through the deliberate will of the shapeshifter, or involuntarily, as the result of a curse or spell. Shapeshifting is inextricably tied to themes of freedom, performance, identity and mysticism.

When one shapeshifts willfully, it’s not an aping display of a different form; it is the absolute abandonment of oneself in favor of another. Disconnecting with one reality and fully identifying with another is a chance to escape and start over. This opportunity represents hope and freedom. No longer bound to the confines of their previous body, and the rules that govern it, a shapeshifter experiences a sense of liberation. By adopting this new identity, they are able to exist in a manner that was previously impossible, like an actor slipping in and out of different roles. 

While subject to a different set of rules and conventions, one may develop a deeper understanding of themselves and their environment, highlighting the shift in consciousness rather than a shift in physical form. The shapeshifter is then freed from their previous ego and history, allowing a different perspective to acknowledge and view their former identity. Sometimes the original person is rendered unrecognizable, even if in the same physical body.

Shapeshifting can be a vehicle to access the spiritual world and has a rich history in the practices of mysticism and ritual. The objects used in these ceremonies become artifacts only after a ritual has taken place. These artifacts are imbued with supernatural energy; indistinguishable from the act of shapeshifting. While the spiritual experience is not shared, its energy can be detectable through the observer’s belief in its sacred power.

Shapeshifters lock their observers into their reality and call attention to the totality of this. Erasing the easy distinctions of the real and unreal, the audience is momentarily isolated, confronting their uneasy relationship with illusion. Witnessing this act produces a feeling of envy and admiration for the shapeshifter and reveals a collective desire to completely surrender to a new reality. 
This Point is Exactly Midway Between Two Other Points captures a range of practices that address the inexhaustible complexities of shapeshifting.

All photos by Daniel Johnson

Big thanks to Andrew Prayzner at Tiger Strikes Asteroid