Plugged In

When it comes to the Internet Age, you might say that the Russian artists Georgy Kuznetsov and Andrey Blokhin, the duo behind Recycle Group, are skeptics. Their multimedia installations, which often involve a combination of kinetic sculptures and videos, draw parallels between social media worship and religion by playfully conflating the visual lexicon of the Internet with that of ancient Greek statuary and early Christianity. At their first New York solo show, “Heaven Carrier,” Kuznetsov and Blokhin reveal a new series of sculptures that poke fun at the ways technology enslaves and marks us. Highlights include a monumental plastic-mesh relief of a toga-clad crew looking for reception or their decaying rubber busts emblazoned with app icons. “He’s constantly looking for a signal,” says Blokhin of their Wayfarer sculpture—a statue that constantly careens around the gallery with an iPad stretched towards the heavens. “It is crazy the way people think Wi-Fi will solve their problems. Maybe this helps them get the message.”

“Heaven Carrier” is on view at Richard Taittinger Gallery through May 3. richardtaittinger.com.