Curated by Zoë Gray

At the beginning of their career, Bernd and Hilla Becher referred to the industrial structures in their photographs as “anonymous sculptures,” but eventually they dropped the phrase, worried that it sounded too arty. McBride’s artworks, which often take the form of quasi-architectural features such as vents and stadium seating, similarly wrestle with their relationship to sculpture, while simultaneously expanding its possibilities. Though the artist’s work might appear unassuming at first, its weight and power grow on the viewer, gradually revealing a subtle, pointed engagement with the mechanisms of social control. Visitors to this midcareer survey—which includes the debut of Guide Rails, a structure that accompanies viewers through the exhibition—will have an opportunity to feel the slow burn of McBride’s practice in real time.  

— Alex Kitnick