Push to Failure is an exploration of the ambiguity of masculinity. Two video screens display games played in middle school, the so-called blood coin and a sadistic take on arm wrestling. The games are recontextualized in a clinical environment to shed light on the violence inherent in them. In combination with the photographs the work explores different modes of masculinity; from the hyper-masculine to seemingly contradictory forms of representation. By blurring the lines between strength and vulnerability, Reistad seeks to create a space of play and performativity. 

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Recipient of Eric Ericson Foundation artist grant, 2022.

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Framed archival pigment prints, 73 x 92 cm / 68 x 54 cm / 30 x 38 cm

24” monitor video, 01:11 min / 00:38 min