Crisis point: Josh Kline's world is wiped out by climate change

Josh Kline's dystopian show is currently on at MOCA in Los Angeles

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Josh Kline, Capture and Sequestration: Cigarettes (still) (2023). Single-channel high-definition video (color, sound), 13:31 min
(Image credit: Courtesy of Josh Kline)

What would we do if our world was annihilated? And who will we be when we emerge from the ruins? Prescient questions become laced with a dystopian doom in Josh Kline’s ‘Climate Change’ exhibition, the fourth chapter in a series of works considering the end of the world through immersive science-fiction installations. Originally conceived in 2018, and currently on show at LA's Museum of Contemporary Art, Kline produced the majority of the works during the pandemic, which for him became a catastrophic foretelling of the results of a broken-down society. Here he brings his apocalyptic visions to life through the mediums of sculpture, moving images and photography.

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Josh Kline, Submersion (detail) (2019). Courtesy of the artist; 47 Canal, New York; and Lisson Gallery © Josh Kline. Photo by Joerg Lohse

(Image credit: Courtesy of Josh Kline)

'Kline’s work is layered, meticulous, and essential in its clear articulation of the problems of the present day and how they will impact human life in the near future,' says Rebecca Lowery, MOCA associate curator. 'We are honoured to have supported the production of several new artworks for this exhibition, and thrilled to share the artist’s project with MOCA’s diverse audiences within and outside of Los Angeles, a city that has played a significant role in the imagination of this saga.'

‘Josh Kline: Climate Change’ is on show until 5 January at MOCA

moca.org

This article appears in the October 2024 issue of Wallpaper*, available in print on newsstands from 5 September on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

dystopian images

Josh Kline, Domestic Fragility Meltdown (detail) (2019). Courtesy of the artist; 47 Canal, New York; and Lisson Gallery, © Josh Kline. Photo by Joerg Lohse

(Image credit: Courtesy of Josh Kline)
Hannah Silver
Hannah Silver

Hannah Silver is a writer and editor with over 20 years of experience in journalism, spanning national newspapers and independent magazines. Currently Art, Culture, Watches & Jewellery Editor of Wallpaper*, she has overseen offbeat art trends and conducted in-depth profiles for print and digital, as well as writing and commissioning extensively across the worlds of culture and luxury since joining in 2019.