Garis & Hahn is pleased to present The Sword of Damocles, a solo exhibition of new works by Felix R. Cid, opening on November 4, marking the 1 year anniversary of the most recent US presidential election and on view through December 16, 2017. The exhibition title references the ancient parable popularized by the Roman philosopher Cicero, which highlights the dangers that loom over those with immense power and wealth. The artist’s first solo presentation with the gallery includes six large-scale photographs and a sculptural installation.

Cid’s photographs are comprised of hundreds of high-resolution digital images taken within the past year, capturing political marches, rallies, and protests around the world. These photographs are digitally rendered to create dramatic abstract compositions that confound an immense accumulation of visual information. This conglomeration of photographic detail speaks to the state of our Information Age – a Post-Truth era defined by a 24-hour news cycle, ubiquitous social media consumption, as well as the proliferation of “alternative facts”.

Also on view is a large-scale sculptural work made up of many Greco-Roman style concrete cast sculptures, which are piled together as if in a heap of rubble. Molded onto these contemporary representations of Classical statuary are Mexican wrestling masks. This tongue-in-cheek work is inspired by the artist’s experience as an immigrant to the United States. Being from Spain, he is frequently perceived by Americans as Mexican. The work explores the identity crisis that many immigrants face. Presented alongside the photographs, this sculpture alludes to the struggle to preserve a crumbling dominant, patriarchal civilization.