Let me check with the wife | SuperRare Gallery, New York

On June 9, Ania Catherine and Dejha Ti make their debut on SuperRare as they auction “Let me check with the wife”— their original marriage certificate, both physical and digital, together with marital obligations included for the collector.

1138. That’s the number of rights reserved solely for married couples in the United States. In 2015, those rights were federally extended to same sex couples. Marriage was never designed to be a social and romantic contract between two women — it was historically a tool for their oppression. 

For us, getting married was not only practical, but also an act of social disobedience. It is a daily subversive performance that flies in the face of social norms.

The collector of Let me check with the wife receives the original physical copy of the artists’ marriage certificate, a digital image file version, as well as Marital Obligations (a dynamic NFT). The artists initiate the concept of “Reverse Utility” as a hyperbolic flip on the expectation of utility with NFT artworks, and drawing on the concept of marital obligations, the collector will receive direction or might be expected to provide the artists with specific actions or gifts on their anniversary (July 19). this aspect of the artist-collector relationship is managed via a dynamic NFT entitled “Marital Obligations.”

Let me check with the wife (2022) Original marriage certificate of Ania Catherine and Dejha Ti

On view June 9-15 at SuperRare Gallery in New York as part of the Icons x SuperTrans exhibition. 

“Let me check with the wife” is intimate and also ironic, as it frames our marriage as an art object. 

The curation of ICONS was crafted by two queer NYC based artists: Nicole Ruggiero and Sam Clover (Aka PLANTTDADDII). Nicole and Sam’s curation embraces artists that have powerful voices, play a vital role in the LGBTQ+ community, and make artwork with a similar passion.

Auction is June 15-20th on SuperRare.