The Burden of Dreams

Kapp Kapp is pleased to present The Burden of Dreams, an exhibition featuring a new sculptural installation by Lucien Smith. The exhibition opens at the construction site of FOOD, Smith’s forthcoming restaurant inspired by the original FOOD started by Gordon Matta-Clark, Tina Girouard, and Carol Goodden.  

Titled after Les Blank’s documentary on Werner Herzog, The Burden of Dreams reflects the artist's personal and artistic journey, sparked by a formative experience in 2006. At a Q&A following a screening of Herzog's Rescue Dawn at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica—Smith found inspiration that would lead him to pursue a career in art.

At the heart of the exhibition is REDRUM, a sculpture consisting of a mountain of Campbell’s tomato soup cans—a nod to Andy Warhol and the commodification of art. Nestled within this mass of cans lies a sleeping Chucky doll, offering an unsettling yet poignant twist on the familiar horror icon. In this state, Chucky is almost peaceful, a stark contrast to his usual malevolent persona. The doll’s placement among the soup cans invites viewers to reconsider their perceptions, suggesting that Chucky may be more misunderstood than malicious.

REDRUM encapsulates themes of innocence, pressure, and the crushing weight of expectations. The sculpture is a meditation on artist as prodigy, grappling with the trauma and anxiety that come with the burden of success. Chucky’s slumber within the towering Warholian dreamscape serves as a metaphor for the fragile balance between a childhood dream and the overwhelming pressures imposed by society.