Thought-Provoking Exhibit Explores “Fictional Archaeology” With Modern-Day Relics for the Future

Installation view: Daniel Arsham: Wherever You Go, There You Are, 2023. Orange County Museum of Art. (Photo: Yubo Dong, ofstudio)

Understanding the past is vital to our future. It’s why, even millions of years later, archeologists are enthralled with pre-historic discoveries. As we sort through them, it can help bring the present into focus. Artist Daniel Arsham creates works that are inspired by the practice of archaeology, but he considers it from an alternative perspective. Instead of sorting through the past, Arsham is interested in digging into the future. His solo exhibition Wherever You Go, There You Are at the Orange County Museum of Art explores the notion of “fictional archaeology” by way of sculpture, photography, and painting.

The pieces featured in the exhibition—his first major museum show in the U.S.—are recognizable figures in contemporary popular culture. They are cast to look like relics that future generations will excavate and study in the same way we have with Egyptian mummies or centuries-old shipwrecks. Arsham's works are constructed from geological materials like sand, pyrite, and volcanic ash.

One of the most identifiable pieces is a replica of the 1981 DeLorean, the time-traveling car from the Back to the Future film franchise. It’s patinated to show its age and looks like it’s been dug up. There are even chunks missing from it that show its inner structure. An astronaut space suit has a similar treatment with part of it showing decay. These striking elements are placed alongside other future ruins including sports equipment and the telephone.

At its core, Arsham’s work tells the story of human existence. A lot can be understood by a society’s visual culture as seen through the objects it produced. In looking at them with a critical eye, future generations have a sense of what was important to our society and how those things contributed to our world today.

The thought-provoking Wherever You Go, There You Are reminds us that the things we make today will one day be studied and that the tie that binds us all is a desire to continue the tradition of object creation. The show is currently on view at the Orange County Museum of Art until June 4, 2023.

Artist Daniel Arsham creates works that are inspired by the practice of archaeology, but he considers it from an alternative perspective.

Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met

Instead of sorting through the past, Arsham is interested in digging into the future.

Installation view: Daniel Arsham: Wherever You Go, There You Are, 2023. Orange County Museum of Art. (Photo: Yubo Dong, ofstudio)

His solo exhibition Wherever You Go, There You Are at the Orange County Museum of Art explores the notion of “fictional archaeology” by way of sculpture, photography, and painting.

Installation view: Daniel Arsham: Wherever You Go, There You Are, 2023. Orange County Museum of Art. (Photo: Yubo Dong, ofstudio)

The pieces featured in the exhibition—his first major museum show in the U.S.—are recognizable figures in popular culture.

Installation view: Daniel Arsham: Wherever You Go, There You Are, 2023. Orange County Museum of Art. (Photo: Yubo Dong, ofstudio)

They are cast to look like relics that future generations will excavate and study.

Installation view: Daniel Arsham: Wherever You Go, There You Are, 2023. Orange County Museum of Art. (Photo: Yubo Dong, ofstudio)

Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met

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Thought-Provoking Exhibit Explores “Fictional Archaeology” With Modern-Day Relics for the Future