Over the course of his four-decade career Mike Kelley (1954 ? 2012) created a rich oeuvre that
critically questioned aesthetic conventions and examined all forms of culture. The
approximately one hundred ?Memory Ware? and associated works were made during the first decade
of the 21st century all of which are reproduced in this catalogue following the exhibition at
Hauser & Wirth New York from November to December 2016. A new scholarly essay by Ralph Rugoff
considers the place of personal and collective memory in the artist?s oeuvre as well as reading
the ?Memory Ware? series in its entirety from both visual and art historical standpoints.
Kelley?s own essay on the project is reprinted and offers direct insight into the artist?s
thinking and methodology. The publication thus offers the opportunity to appraise Kelley?s
series as a whole.
