"Sometimes making something leads to nothing" is Belgium-born, Mexico City-based artist Francis Alÿs' mantra, and it guides the works included in his first comprehensive museum exhibition. Alÿs' video installations are supported by drawings, paintings, and smaller video displays, which serve as preparations for the artist's quixotic endeavors. The humorously frustrating video Ensayo I (The Rehearsal) depicts a red Volkswagen repeatedly attempting to climb a steep hill as the soundtrack of a triumphant band trails off each time the car rolls back down. For When Faith Moves Mountains, Alÿs corralled 500 volunteers into moving a 1,600-foot Peruvian sand dune about four inches. In Rehearsal II, a video of a continually aborted strip tease, Alÿs implies that the success of a thing lies in the effort, not the end result.

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