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One Fine Show: “Pierre Huyghe” at Fondation Beyeler

This follow-up to "Liminal" in Venice adds new works to a practice that makes our current moment feel, at best, inadequate to the art being made about it.

The epic feeling that runs through the oeuvre of Pierre Huyghe (b. 1962) invites one to make superlative statements about his reputation. It’s clear that he’s among the most significant artists of his generation, and he may be the most beloved. I didn’t know anyone who didn’t rave about his exhibition “Liminal” at the Punta della Dogana two years ago in Venice. Maybe this was because it could be enjoyed by anyone, in any state of mind. I stumbled into its darkness after a boozy poolside lunch at Hotel Cipriani. My eyes took a while to adjust, but upon entry I was struck by a featureless sci-fi mask in gold that appeared to be hanging on the wall. I shot right to it for examination only to feel a light touch on my chest. In fact there was a person in all black wearing this mask, and I was too close to her. From the mask emerged a garbled admonishment in some non-language that sounded like an aggressive droid in Star........

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