Daniel Arsham: ‘Various Thoughts’ Exhibition at Perrotin New York – 2026
Daniel Arsham’s latest exhibition, “Various Thoughts,” opened at the Perrotin Gallery in Modern York on and continues through . The show, encompassing sculpture, painting, and drawing, delves into the artist’s ongoing exploration of architecture, memory, and the psychological resonance of place.
Arsham is perhaps best known for his distinctive aesthetic – a kind of archaeological futurism where contemporary objects and architectural elements are rendered in materials like sand, marble, and bronze, suggesting both ancient relics and artifacts from a distant future. “Various Thoughts” builds on this foundation, with a particular focus on his “Labyrinth” series. These aren’t the chaotic, dead-complete mazes of myth, but rather labyrinths in the classical sense: unicursal paths designed for contemplation and spiritual journey.
The sculptures within the series, titled “Stairs in the Labyrinth,” feature doubled figures that seamlessly transition from recognizable portraiture into complex architectural stairwells. According to the exhibition notes, Arsham intends these works to be open-ended, inviting viewers to project their own “interior landscapes” onto the forms. This isn’t about solving a puzzle, but about getting lost in thought, mirroring the labyrinth’s historical function as a space for meditation and self-reflection. The mythology surrounding labyrinths – as both traps and pathways to rebirth – also informs the function, creating a sense of layered meaning.
Beyond the “Labyrinth” sculptures, the exhibition includes “Marble Robot” busts. These pieces are particularly striking in their juxtaposition of classical form and futuristic technology. The busts are intentionally left open, revealing a “cyborg-like technological interior,” as described in the Perrotin press release. This creates a compelling tension between the ancient and the modern, suggesting that relics and blueprints are not mutually exclusive, but rather exist on a continuum. They are simultaneously artifacts of the past and visions of what’s to come.
Arsham extends the sensory experience beyond the visual. He incorporates sound into the gallery space through sculptures that function as stereo speakers. These “Audio Bonsai” pieces broadcast randomized environments – music, rain, wind, or voices – creating an evolving soundscape that complements the static forms. This element adds another layer to the exploration of place and memory, suggesting that our recollections are often intertwined with auditory cues.
The artist’s paintings, displayed alongside the sculptures, further develop the themes of time, and memory. They depict the busts within landscapes where past and future collide, creating a sense of “simulated reality,” as the exhibition materials state. These aren’t straightforward depictions of place, but rather evocative environments that blur the lines between what is real and what is remembered.
Arsham’s work has consistently engaged with themes of displacement and the fragility of memory. His signature style, often described as “future archaeology,” reflects a fascination with how objects and structures retain traces of the past, even as they decay or are transformed. “Various Thoughts” feels like a deepening of this exploration, a more focused meditation on the ways in which architecture shapes our perceptions of time and space.
The exhibition arrives at a moment when questions about the nature of reality and the impact of technology on our memories are increasingly prevalent. The blurring of lines between the physical and the digital, the real and the simulated, is a central concern in contemporary culture, and Arsham’s work speaks directly to these anxieties. The open forms of the sculptures and the ambiguous landscapes of the paintings encourage viewers to actively participate in the creation of meaning, rather than passively accepting a fixed interpretation.
Installation views of the exhibition, captured by Guillaume Ziccarelli, offer a glimpse into the immersive environment Arsham has created at the Perrotin Gallery. The photographs highlight the scale of the sculptures and the interplay between light and shadow, emphasizing the tactile quality of the materials. The gallery space itself becomes an integral part of the artwork, inviting visitors to wander and contemplate the themes at play.
“Various Thoughts” isn’t simply a display of aesthetically pleasing objects; it’s an invitation to engage in a deeper conversation about the nature of memory, the power of place, and the enduring human necessitate for meaning and connection. Arsham’s work continues to resonate since it taps into fundamental questions about what it means to be human in an increasingly complex and rapidly changing world.