THIS IS ALL WE GOT: A SERIOUSLY PLAYFUL RETROSPECTIVE BY DONNA CONLON AND JONATHAN HARKER

Artist duo Donna Conlon and Jonathan Harker are master observers, turning their unique perspective into moving works of video art that have caught the eye of the art world and beyond. In collaboration since 2006, Conlon and Harker have produced eighteen video works to date, which comment on life with unparalleled humor and subtlety. This body of work is shown for the first time in its entirety in this exhibition, making it accessible to a broader audience in Panama, the chosen home of both artists.

The duo's work is rooted in everyday life, but its power lies in its ability to give this meticulously observed reality a broader scope. Each of his pieces moves with ease through issues of parochialism, nationalism, and cosmopolitanism, all while using metaphors that sharpen the viewer's understanding of their own experience, should they choose to pay attention to it.

As observers of our time, they have a knack for pointing out the anomalies of a society that is always consuming, driven by an economy that is not far from consuming itself. Their approach doesn't shy away from criticism, but it doesn't get lost in the dark either. Their work not only sees the dark side of things, but also sees the light to which those shadows are necessarily attached.

For these two artists—who also have their own individual art practices—making art is as much about working on reality as it is about reminding us that progress can trip over its own legs as it takes shape. Especially when taking big steps.

Curated by Juan Canela and Sandino Scheidegger, this exhibition is co produced by Casa

Santa Ana and MAC Panamá https://macpanama.org/