State of the Art NYC: This Week in Latino Art
Image: Lygia Clark
Twitter: @LaBarbaraaa
State of The Art is Remezcla’s weekly guide to Latin art openings in your city each week. Mingle with art admirers, collectors and casual passersby to check out these new works. And don’t forget to grab a free glass of wine…or three.
Bushwick Open Studios with ExitRoomNY and Art Battles
This Friday, May 30th, an art battle between street artists MR. MUSTART and Esteban Del Valle will take place at ExitRoomNY. Not only will you get to witness two artists in a friendly competition of live art skills, but you’ll also get to enjoy some free beer while you watch. The staged artbattle marks the first day of Bushwick Open Studios– a 3 day art festival where creators invite the public inside their personal artspaces to reveal the imaginations they’ve been working on in seclusion. There will be performances by 2 Hungry Bros, Jesus Himself and the band WORKOUT. The art battle is from 7pm -1am, the open bar is from 7-930pm and the whole event begins at noon and continues until 1am. The entire event is free. Have a happy time 🙂
20 Years of the Zapatistas and the Autonomous Communities of Mexico: La Autonomia es la Vida, la Sumisión es la Muerte
A convening of long term activists, intellectuals, and artists connected with the Zapatista Movement will be held this Thursday in order to critically discuss the mobilization that began 20 years ago. The anti-capitalist movement that rejected the Mexican state and set off region-wide civil resistance culminated in a host of social progress for indigenous communities in Chiapas. The talk will be accompanied by a poster exhibit with artwork from Interference Archive’s extensive collection of politically motivated art. The selection of work for the exhibit La Autonomía es la Vida, la Sumisión es la Muerte (Autonomy is Life, Submission is Death) was generated by Convergencia Grafica MALLA and Justseeds Artists’ Cooperative. It will be held this Thursday May 29th at 7pm in Gowanus.
Lygia Clark @MOMA
Lygia Clark, a Brazilian artist who created work that challenged deeply entrenched ideas about art and its function in society, is having a show at MOMA called The Abandonment of Art 1948 -1988. Much of Clark’s work was participatory in nature and required the audience to have some direct sensorial interaction with a piece of work. A creation of hers called ‘bichos’ or critters were deconstructed geometric shapes that unfolded on hinges. They were meant to be handled like toys by the ”viewer.” She actually used the term “participants” to describe her audience. Clark was also a leading figure in the field of art therapy. At some points in her career she used art to aid in the process of healing mentally disturbed people. Clark is a relevant example of a Latin American artist who tends to get left out of art history discussions because her work blurs “traditional” distinctions of art within the Western paradigm. MOMA has over 300 of her pieces on display until August 24th. Admission to MOMA is free on Friday nights from 4 to 8pm.