INTERSECTIONALITY AND INCLUSIVITY AT THE FOREFRONT OF ARMORY ART SHOW BY SHALINI PASSI
An ode to contemporary and modern art, The Armory Show opened on 9th September 2022 with a revived enthusiasm. Ranging from iridescent installations at Templon gallery booth to three-dimensional etchings at Polígrafa Obra Gràfica exhibit, the show covered the themes of nostalgia, home, displacement, and identity in the context of global economical and ecological changes. The fair divided into five sections namely Galleries, Solo, Focus, Presents and Platforms has been helmed by three curators Carla Acevedo-Yates, Tobias Ostrander, and Estrella B.Brodsky with similar curatorial practice, dabbling in Latin American and Latinx art, celebrating ongoing artistic initiatives worldwide in emerging as well as well-established art spaces.
1) Monique Meloche Gallery, Booth F12
An inclusive space that has dedicated itself to the advancement of socio-political conversations among emerging art practitioners, Monique Meloche Gallery displayed works by artists like David Antonio Cruz, Candida Alvarez, Maia Cruz Palileo, and Ebony G. Patterson, with their works delving into similar themes of diaspora, migration, and history of colonialism.
Ebony G. Patterson has used the metaphor of a peacock, its body transforming into a complex garden, manifesting as colonial Caribbean lands under British rule. The artist has touched upon the themes of diaspora, royalty, beauty, and the colonial past. The artist used conch shells to symbolize the burial rituals, where slaves placed the shells on the body of the dead during the memorial, emphasizing the materiality of objects and their cultural connotations. Meanwhile, Palileo’s figurative paintings encompass the oral histories of migration and displacement.
2) Kavi Gupta Gallery, Booth 214
Kavi Gupta Gallery featured a versatile collection of artworks by artists like James Little, Tomokazu Matsuyama, Mary Sibande, Deborah Kass locating socio-cultural issues in contemporary society.
The highlight of the booth is Mary Sibande’s sculpture that encapsulates the history of Purple Rain riots in South Africa. Sibande’s avatar Sophie steps up on a pedestal, garbed in purple and red utilizing chromatic cues to express the historical association of colour purple. Sibande has monumentalized the voices and frustrations of South African Women, weaving a powerful narrative rooted in feminist philosophies. The show is curated by Tobias Ostrander and Estrella B.Brodsky.
3) SMAC, Booth S2
A solo exhibit of Wallen Mapondera’s sculptural installations was specifically created for the fair. Mapondera’s craftsmanship and keen eye to create a statement are masterfully captured in simplistic mediums, executed through sculptures composed of egg crates, silicone threads, and woven polythene bags. His sculptures implicitly symbolize the economical conditions on a global scale as well as his hometown, Harare, Zimbabwe.
Image courtesy of SMAC Gallery, artwork copyright of Wallen Mapondera.
Each piece is a fragment of material history addressing the current state of affairs.Wallen Mapondera is an emerging artist right now in the Zimbabwean art circle, who has solidified his presence in the art world swiftly. The show is curated by Carla Acevedo-Yates.
4) Templon Gallery, Booth 307
Exhibiting works by Michael Ray Charles, Omar Ba, Kehinde Wiley, Chiharu Shiota, Ivan Navarro, and Jitish Kallat, the booth had an assortment of interactive installations, introspective photographs and narrative paintings. Galerie Templon is known to provide an open dialogue between different generations of artists, highlighting the art practices of artists from all over the world.
The major attraction among the visitors and critics alike has been the Iconic Neon sculpture titled Polka by Chilean artist Iván Navarro, using multitudes of industrial materials like electrical wires, bulbs, and fluorescent lights that convey a visual social commentary on city landscapes.
5) Jane Lombard Gallery, Booth 326
An art space known for celebrating artists with an interdisciplinary approach to issues plaguing the global climate since 1994, Tribeca-based Jane Lombard Gallery brought a touch of Futurism with the screening of Doku- The Self by Chinese multimedia artist, LuYang. Inspired by Japanese anime, video games, and interactive digital holograms, Yang’s work functions as a multisensory, cerebral, and deeply engaging visual thesis on vitality, mental health, religious ideologies, and concepts of Buddhist reincarnation.
Analyzing perennial questions about existence through their futuristic works that have employed collaborations with esteemed performers, animators and software engineers worldwide. An interdisciplinary show that has aptly displayed the spirit of our contemporary age.
Text by Shalini Passi
Image courtesy: Artsy, Galleries and artists.
Find out more about the art fair and the artists:
https://www.thearmoryshow.com/
https://www.thearmoryshow.com/exhibitors-2022/platform/patterson-ebony-e
https://www.moniquemeloche.com/
https://www.thearmoryshow.com/exhibitors-2022/platform/sibande-mary
https://www.thearmoryshow.com/exhibitors-2022/galleries/templon
https://www.templon.com/new/gallery.php?la=en
https://www.thearmoryshow.com/exhibitors-2022/galleries/lombard
