Arsenal Contemporary Art New York is glad to bring together the work of an eclectic group of 18 artists from diverse backgrounds for Material Knowledge. Working across an array of mediums that range from ceramics to textiles, paper, metal and wood and techniques as varied as weaving, beading, carving, glass blowing and terrazzo making, these artists each have their respective visual language, set of references and intentions. Nonetheless, the assortment of materials, techniques and strategies that the exhibition brings into relation, all associated with craft, offer a compelling argument against outdated hierarchies of materiality and objecthood that have defined the European standards of the so-called “fine arts” for hundreds of years. This is an exhibition that recognizes forms of knowledge and visual expressions that have been traditionally coded as feminine and domestic or sidelined as cultural folklore and recenters them within the framework of contemporary culture. In so doing, Material Knowledge testifies to shifting attitudes towards complex politics that define concepts such as labor and leisure.