The installation Hubris Atë Nemesis was created by the duo of artists from Maine: Wade Kavanaugh and Stephen B. Nguyen. The exhibition space was a CMCA (Center of Main Contemporary Art) gallery. It consisted of a wave of wood itself, surrounding visitors as they crossed the walkways that divided the space. Kavanaugh and Nguyen have been working together since 2005 and work exclusively with paper.

For this installation, the artists have gone beyond the confines of their design process to include new media, techniques and materials. Hubris Atë Nemesis is their first wooden work and the first in which the walkway, which cuts the installation in two, is an integral part of the work itself.

The title and concept derive from a three-part narrative of a Greek tragedy. Hubris, animated by great confidence and arrogance, transforms himself into Atë, crazy and ruinous and ends up in Nemesis, the punishment that restores the natural order of things.

Hubris Atë Nemesis was created with the support of the Ellis-Beauregard Foundation. The installation was on display at the CMCA until June 16, 2019. If you haven’t had the chance to experience the work in person, an impressive 360° virtual tour of Dave Clough is available.

Text by Elisa Scotti