Urban Reflections

Urban Reflections purports to be a collection of artists’ responses to the contemporary urban experience. All but one of the works were made within the past ten years, and overall they provide an interesting, if somewhat disjointed look at the theme of perceiving the city.

There are only five artists on display, but they provide a satisfying international mix of styles and mediums. Santu Mofokeng’s large photographs of billboards in South Africa are beautifully composed and poignant, whilst Scottish artist Rhona Warwick's installation They Looked for a City is a wonderfully thoughtful project which incorporates anthropological and historical sources into a vision of an imaginary city.

A highlight of the exhibition is the inclusion of work by Dan Graham, perhaps best known for his conceptual Homes for America project in the 1960s. His slideshow New Jersey is an intimate peek at the homes of the endless American suburban sprawl – however, it does seem slightly out of place in a show which focuses on the city.

With such a small show, there is an obvious danger of it feeling incomplete or unfinished. Although Urban Reflections' eleven pieces hold together well enough, I found myself wondering what the point was in showing them together now; it's not clear what the show is trying to explore or what question it wants to answer about the urban experience. Some of the work is just old enough to feel dated, yet not enough time has passed to allow for a nostalgic look back. However, the individual work is definitely good enough to warrant a trip to Cockburn Street before the end of the month.