CFGNY, a New York-based collective comprising Daniel Chew, Ten Izu, and Tin Nguyen, presents 'Puddles into Pond' at Amant in New York. The exhibition features installation-based works made collaboratively with friends, including 'Landscape Composition' and 'Fuzzy Bridge' (all 2026), which create a taxidermied simulacrum of nature. Thirteen friends contributed circular ceramic tiles displayed on reflective pedestals. In a second gallery, 'System (Five Times)' presents five water clocks keyed to different rhythms, circulating fluid from a central tank, evoking themes of time, cultural convergence, and globalized trade.
The exhibition matters because it extends CFGNY's ongoing exploration of 'vaguely Asian' aesthetics and multiple authorship, drawing parallels to the apolitical yet subversive practice of the Beijing-based Wuming ('No Name') collective during the Cultural Revolution. By refusing to cohere a single dialogue from individual contributions, CFGNY creates incubation spaces for individualized expression, while the water clocks in 'System (Five Times)' underscore the tension between standardization and the diverse tempos of cultures and industries, offering a nuanced commentary on codependence and cultural homogenization.