Taryn Simon is preparing for the opening of her new exhibition, "Father Country I Do Love You," at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. This will be the first monographic exhibition—meaning a solo show focused entirely on one artist—by a photography-based artist in the museum’s famous spiral rotunda. The exhibition is the largest debut of new work ever staged at the Guggenheim and is based on Simon’s decade-long collaboration with a retired federal agent. It explores the complex influence of a middleman figure involved in espionage, conspiracy, and violence. The project includes a wide range of media, such as photography, video, performance, sculpture, and even bookmaking, reflecting Simon’s multidisciplinary approach to art. Simon’s connection to the subject matter began with her father, a U.S. government worker who was in Thailand in 1967. That year, Jim Thompson, a businessman and suspected spy, disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Simon and her father recreated Thompson’s wood-paneled living room in Long Island when she was nine. For this exhibition, Simon has recreated the space in the Guggenheim’s lobby using fake teak, though she has mentioned the challenges of the process. This personal history has shaped her artistic exploration of systems of power and information, a theme that has defined her work for over 25 years. Simon’s artistic practice is marked by meticulous attention to detail and a methodical approach, often drawing on journalistic techniques and archival research. She has previously examined topics like the lives of exonerees, the contents of confiscated items at John F. Kennedy International Airport, and the symbolism of floral arrangements from international treaties. Her work often involves recreating environments or objects that carry historical or political weight. In this exhibition, she has allowed herself to be more present in her work, occasionally referencing herself in the third person. One chapter of the exhibition explores memory loss, inspired by the agent’s experience with transient global amnesia during the 2020 U.S. election and Simon’s father’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis. The exhibition is dedicated to Simon’s father, who, like the agent, left much unsaid. It includes a chapter structured like a novel, with color-coded sections that begin with first-person narratives written in the voice of the agent. These narratives are based on text messages and in-person meetings with the agent. Other sections catalog objects or follow more complex, winding paths, such as tracing the life of a woman involved in a sting operation that led to the arrest of a D.C. mayor. The exhibition will remain on display at the Guggenheim until 14 March 2027, offering visitors an immersive and multifaceted look into the intersections of memory, power, and personal history.