05/18/2005 06:29:00 AM 
The exhibit explores how the poles of mainstream, mass, individuality and conformity all work together simultaneously to define the culture. In addition, it shows how teens are also taking it upon themselves to shape their own culture through product customizatio and the subversion of marketing messages.
It suggests that teens now operate as their own "coolhunters" in the "tribal supermarket", piecing together elements to define who they are.
Coolhunters also shows how different images of identity can co-exist in the same world, contrasting the hard-edged gangster cool of 50 Cent with the geeky Woody Allen style of Norwegan musician Ereland Oye
It's the artists in the exhibition who help to put an interesting creative edge and perspective to the various themes.
For example:
Photographer Andreas Gursky who captures the rave as the space owned and inhabited by youth, where expressions of individuality and belonging happen at the same time.
Or, teen as pop-culture victim in the staged fake suicide photographs of Alex McQuilkin.
Overall, it shows the tensions between the push of mainstream material culture, the desire for individuality and how easy access to information allows tribal lines to blur and change with greater frequency.
It's great to see an exhibition that attempts to navigate through the complexity of youth culture. The best example in the US, is the Beautiful Losers show that uses art to explore one facet of the culture; street and skate.
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