Haunted

Drawing elements from the horror genre and video game aesthetics, Andrew Roberts examines the violent aspects of cultural and economic systems. His multimedia work has recently focused on the geopolitical dynamics that have shaped the relationship between the U.S. and his home country Mexico, as well as the effect these forces have had on his familial history. In his first institutional solo show in the U.S., Roberts incorporates film, sculpture, and installation in a compelling tableau that transports viewers to a ghostly simulacrum of the fast-food franchise Jack in the Box. The artist’s new animated film, designed with video game software, presents the restaurant interior populated by spectral manifestations of the brand’s mascot in three forms: darkness, liquid rubber, and red light. Pulled from the artist’s childhood memories of visiting his father at a Jack in the Box on the U.S.–Mexico border, which also served as a gathering point for migrant workers and families separated by immigration policies, Roberts’ installation examines the haunting realities at the intersection of policy, corporate identity, and personal experience. Text by Ben Tollefson Film Credits: Written, directed, and animated by Andrew Roberts. Original music by Espectro Caudillo (Reuben Torres).