Jordan Carter Discusses Five Recent Art-World Inspirations

(MENAFN- USA Art News) Jordan Carter, a curator at the Dia Art Foundation, has revealed five recent interests that have shaped her current projects. Carter is the curatorial force behind the upcoming Counterpublic triennial in St. Louis and the Haegue Yang exhibition at Dia Beacon.

Teaching and Learning as Performing Arts

Carter cited Robert Filliou's 1970 book, Teaching and Learning as Performing Arts, as a significant influence, particularly given her interest in Fluxus history. She described it as a“generative” and“haptic interface” meant to be“performed and enacted both on and off the page,” rather than a book with a definitive thesis. Filliou's work, which explores the intersection of art and daily life, resonated with the theme of the Counterpublic exhibition, titled“Coyote Time.” This title refers to the concept of a leap into an unknown but imminent future. Carter's catalog essay for the exhibition features an epigraph from Filliou:“This is what I suspect the art of the future will be: always on the move, never arriving... the art of losing oneself without getting lost.” She noted this idea of disorientation as a productive creative mode applies to all the artists in the exhibition.

Cave 0

Emma McCormick Goodhart's Cave 0, which functions as both an artwork and a wearable fragrance, also captured Carter's attention. Goodhart has long explored the scents, sounds, and aesthetics of caves and the concept of connecting with prehuman worlds. Cave 0 originated as an installation before evolving into a reproducible fragrance. Carter appreciates the work's ability to move between mediums and contexts, seeing it as a“manifestation of a discursive process” that is also deeply“experiential.” She highlighted that it expands the traditional definition of an artwork, distinguishing it from research presented as a paper or lecture.

Mind Games

The podcast Mind Games appealed to Carter, despite her not being a“true-crime kind of person.” She noted that investigative journalist Alice Hines and arts writer Zoë Lescaze approach their subject, neurolinguistic programming (NLP), with both openness and criticality due to their interest in alternative lifestyles. This approach gives the podcast a distinct tone beyond merely debunking NLP, which, despite its controversial history linked to self-help and the NXIVM cult, is widely used by psychological practitioners despite limited scientific support. Carter found the hosts' willingness to experiment with NLP on themselves both entertaining and effective in demonstrating its mechanisms.

Jennie

During a trip to Seoul for the Haegue Yang exhibition at Dia Beacon, Carter developed a greater interest in Korean popular culture, including the K-pop group Blackpink. She named Jennie as her favorite member, praising her 2025 solo album, Ruby, as“vibrant and energizing.” Carter noted Jennie's unique ability to bridge music, fashion, and art, highlighting her roles as a Chanel ambassador and, announced earlier this year, the first global ambassador for Vaseline. Carter found the juxtaposition of Chanel, representing high class, and Vaseline, a“nonbranded brand,” particularly compelling. She suggested that this combination illustrates a strategic approach to becoming an icon by embracing both high and low culture, emphasizing accessible and universal self-care.

The Chair Company

Carter also found herself absorbed by the HBO show, The Chair Company. The series centers on a man who, after his office chair collapses, becomes obsessed with uncovering the reasons behind the incident. She described it as a“dark-humor thriller with a real sense of suspense,” featuring Tim Robinson in an“incredible” yet“cringe” role. Carter found the show relatable in its depiction of a feeling that“there's always something else at play,” and the need to trust one's neuroses, even if such trust can sometimes be self-destructive.

Source: ARTnews

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