Benji Anderson’s The Fitful Portal was one of the shows I couldn’t wait to see this year. When the gallery-covering exhibition debuted at Elephant in March, it did not disappoint. The strange and enchanting display included a selection of large multimedia works on paper, Anderson’s signature drawings on Etch A Sketch toys, and a huge, colorful floor mural stretching from wall to wall. The irreverent installation — when’s the last time an artist made you walk on their work? — cast strange creatures in otherworldly narratives that read like some lost mythology. The show became my favorite gallery exhibition of the year the afternoon I previewed it. Eight months later, it’s still the best. This exhibition was a huge win for Anderson and Elephant, and I can’t wait to see what they’ll do next.
