SMoCA's Time-Capsule Exhibition Is Entertaining But Lacks Innovation

Comments (0) By Claire Lawton Thursday, Aug 2 2012

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Courtesy of SMoCA

Blast off: SMoCA's interactive time capsule.

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Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art

7374 E. Second St.
Scottsdale, AZ 85251

Category: Museums

Region: Central Scottsdale

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"This Is a Present from a Small Distant World" on view through October 7, at Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, 7374 E. 2nd St. in Scottsdale. For more information, visit www.smoca.org or call 480-874-4666.

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The exhibition — for the artists, curator Carter, and the museum — was a risk, both in the reliance on audience participation and in the subject matter. And though SMoCA had a number of curious guests during both of my visits and plenty of responses left on the papers, I left both times thinking that the exhibition lacks depth and innovation.

That's not to say the design work (seen mainly in the exhibition's use of typography) and photographs and video interviews played over the television screens aren't well executed, but it's clear the show's entertainment value trumps the subject matter. And if NASA taps SMoCA to shoot another Golden Record, which Carter hopes to release to the Earth public this summer, into space, let's hope the aliens find the old message first.