Invisible Adversaries is inspired by the eponymous 1976 feature film by the radical Austrian artist Valie Export. The film presents a woman’s struggle to retain her sense of self against hostile alien forces that appear increasingly ubiquitous, colonizing the minds of all those around her. Motifs from the film--among them, architecture’s influence on identity; feminist critique; and the power of political fantasy--operate as filters through which to consider significant pieces from the Marieluise Hessel Collection. In addition to works by Valie Export, Invisible Adversaries draws primarily from acquisitions of the Marieluise Hessel Collection over the past decade, with works by over 50 artists including Chantal Akerman, Ida Applebroog, Lynda Benglis, Barbara Bloom, Patty Chang, Anne Collier, Reneke Dijkstra, K8 Hardy, Roni Horn, Glenn Ligon, Leigh Ledare, Helen Marten, William Pope.L, Hito Steyerl, Magali Reus, Rachel Rose, Thomas Ruff, Lorna Simpson, Diane Simpson, Jo Spence and Gillian Wearing.
