Uncertain States of America has become a successful and evolving traveling exhibit of 42 contemporary American artists, most born after 1970. After exhibiting this year in France, China, Denmark, and Poland, it ends the year in Prague s Galerie Rudolfinum, with more destinations to follow. The exhibition debuted at The Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art in Oslo, Norway, in October 2005. The curators Europeans Daniel Birnbaum, Hans Ulrich Obrist and Gunnar B.

Kvaran traversed the United States for two years, searching out artists from the emerging generation, especially unknown artists outside the New York gallery scene, with no other special theme or concept in mind. Perhaps that s why there is an inherent chaos in the works on display, though it also makes the show a successful multicultural splash certainly not a clash. And this ultimately reflects American culture at its best.

For instance, there are some perplexing sculptures, such as Frank Bensen s A Portrait of the Artist s Mother , an oversized peach with a candle intriguingly stuck into its side, resting on a barrel. Another one is his white plaster turtle which has four human arms and hands instead of legs, and a fist for its head.

Cristina Lei Rodriguez s garden in a corner of the same room is a complexly layered arrangement of fake flowers and plants, doused in glitter, paint and wax, and ornamented with cheap jewelry, cobwebs and saliva. In the next room, Josh Smith s paintings, made over painted panels, incorporate scraps of notes, newspapers and drawings or small paintings as well as scribbles and graffiti.