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Parts and pieces, fragments, inherently interesting in that they narrativize themselves, project their story as artifacts of it. We automatically read the objects as parts of a whole that they withhold telling. A story that doesn't tell itself, but the parts limn this possible whole and the tension in our inability to piece it perfectly creates a mistrust, mystery. Abdalian's "storytelling" makes art's metaphorical viewer as detective a sort of literal mode in a setting for them. The mis-en-scene carries the narrative. Artforum thought it was about gentrification.
See too: Michael E. Smith at Sculpture Center