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Available for pre-orders with an expected shipping date of March, 2026.

In the exhibition Year Zero at the Renaissance Society, Isabelle Frances McGuire turned to characters that keep reappearing, such as Abraham Lincoln, vampires, and the fame-destined Hollywood star. Picking up on these cultural loops and common stories of “good men and monsters,” McGuire tested out different ways to re-wild familiar symbols, reanimate old models, and turn readymade digital forms into tangible sculptures. Ultimately this effort swept up personal biography, political lore, and proliferating movie adaptations. McGuire’s publication for Year Zerocarries over the exhibition’s anarchic undercurrents and extends its exploration of revivals and re-enactments. Along with images of the show and behind-the-scenes views of its making, the book also features two new essays: Max Hart writes about the role of play in McGuire’s practice, and exhibition curator Karsten Lund reflects on how Year Zero extends and reorients a long trajectory of artists dealing with cultural codes. The book also re-prints a short story by George Saunders, “CivilWarLand in Bad Decline,” a sharply satirical take on the American habit of historical re-creation and the violence that shadows it.

Isabelle Frances McGuire: Year Zero was supported by Murat Ahmed and Katherine Mackenzie, and Zach Smith. Additional support for the publication was provided by Bel Ami and King’s Leap Softcover

6.69 x 9.45 in
232 pages
ISBN: 978094154893
Edited by Karsten Lund and Isabelle Frances McGuire
Designed by Lucas Reif