Duke Riley’s Art Exhibition at the MOCA in Virginia Beach

Just over by the sea in Virginia Beach, the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art is showing Duke Riley’s O’er the Wide and Plastic Sea exhibition through Aug. 31.

The Brooklyn artist’s two decades of multimedia work look at nature through today’s eyes. For the exhibition’s namesake piece, Riley took an interesting approach—creating eye-catching art from beach trash he collected, much of it from Virginia Beach during his research: lighters, buoy pieces, and syringes.

“My work addresses the tension between individual and collective behavior, independent spaces within all-encompassing societies, and the conflict with institutional power,” Riley explains simply in his statement.

Independent curator Melissa Messina, who went to school with Riley, highlights how the artist mixes early American styles, folklore, and sea-craft aesthetics to show nature’s struggle with modern problems. MOCA notes that “Riley’s works convey highly original—sometimes satirical but always clever—messages reflective of the American spirit.”

Virginia residents can see the exhibition for free. VirginiaMOCA.org, DukeRiley.info


This article originally appeared in the August 2025 issue.