calendario eventi  :: 

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16/9/2011

Three exhibitions

The Invisible Dog Art Space, New York

A layer of the #1
Chong Gon Byun - solo show
september 17 – november 6

Acclaimed Korean-born mixed media artist Chong Gon Byun gives found and discarded objects new meaning by using them to create sculptures and assemblages that explore the clash between post-industrial civilization and the present consumerist culture. In this installation, the walls of the combined residence and studio are lined with shelves and cabinets stuffed with books and objects of every description: African and oceanic masks, totems, skulls, musical instruments, ornate frames, mirrors, images and replicas of Castro, Ho Chi Min, Marilyn Monroe, and Mickey Mouse, as well as reproductions of Leonardo’s Mona Lisa, his Last Supper, and esoteric 17th century Italian paintings, all jostle with globes of the world, plastic fruits and flowers, stuffed parrots, metallic insects, lamps, vintage appliances, springs, coils, and mannequin heads and bodies. The space itself is the artwork and it is from this treasure trove that Byun draws inspiration and constructs his witty and poignant works.

Byun’s installation will be complemented by the commissioned short film, Byun, Objet Trouve, by director Marie Losier

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2FIK OR NOT 2FIK
2Fik - solo show
September 17- October 9

As an artistic director, director, photographer and model, 2Fik captures pictures of himself that he likens to a single image. He can therefore be found several times in his photographs, in various attitudes and sporting a range of accessories. Through his toying with reality and fiction the viewer becomes confused. 2Fik’s recurrent characters end up embodying real individuals to whom the artist gives a complete identity: personality, age, sex, origin, occupation and interests. These figures are related to each other and arise from the universe and life experiences of the artist. 2Fik assigns them traits taken from his own personality, discreetly unfolding through his disguises. The protagonists come to live against the the backdrop of a multicultural Montreal, simultaneously creating time a TV-style reality show where their destinies revolve around Fatima. She is central to all the other characters: Abdel, Manon, Benjamin, Sofiane Marco, Alice, and Francine. The sum of these character’s experiences and their emotional baggage add up to different social realities, providing keys to understanding their respective existence. Conducted from a voyeuristic perspective, the photographs generate our desire to know what was happening outside the frame. However, a second interpretation takes us beyond reality television, because these lives are in reality a reflection of our current society.

Born in Paris to a Moroccan Muslim family, 2Fik has lived in France for most of his life. As he also spent several years in Morocco, he also identifies with it’s culture. In 2003, on the spur-of-the-moment he came to Montreal, a destination chosen for its apparent tranquility. Following his emigration experience, 2Fik rapidly found himself amidst a fusion of religion, politics and society.

2Fik’s photographs drawthe viewer into a true societal melting pot. At first glance his approach induces laughter, however on a subtextual level the mood darkens to the point where viewers might find themselves questioning their own identity. 2Fik intends a playful, yet powerful approach as he attempts to achieve a social reflectionThe approach is intended 2Fik playful, but powerful in the sub-text to achieve a social reflection. Stereotypes encourage viewers to discuss the idea of universality, because in the stories everyone can recognize a part of themselves. 2Fik’s photographs transport us into a true melding of society.

www.2fikornot2fik.com

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Hermaphrodite curated by Nikita Vishnevskiy
september 17 – october 9

Artists in this exhibition were asked to directly or metaphorically respond to the idea of a hermaphrodite through their practice. The premise of the exhibit is to avoid polar categorization, consider natural totality, and to investigate the states that are in limbo. Throughout history artists have been fascinated with the hermaphrodite as a symbol. The term is derived from the name of the Greek mythological god, Hermaphroditus, who acted as a deity of bisexuality and effeminacy. Metaphysical poets John Donne and Edmund Spencer celebrated the hermaphrodite as a concept of love – a union of two souls within one body. Painter, Forrest Bess was inspired by the hermaphrodite and developed a philosophy linked to alchemy and the rituals of the Australian aborigines. Bess attempted to perform surgery to transform himself into a hermaphrodite, which according to the legend would bring him immortality. Genesis P-Orridge and Lady Jaye Breyer based their art practice on the idea of a hermaphrodite. The couple underwent a series of plastic surgeries to mold their bodies to the likeness of one another and to eventually become one entity.

Artists: Ivin Ballen, Shannon Carroll, Lars Van Dooren, Sarah Frances Kuhn, Michel Gerard, Rebecca Gilbert, Natalie Labriola, Lance Lankford, Julie Lohnes, William McMillin, David Shull, Thomas Stevenson, Marina Temkina, Nikita Vishnevskiy, Patrick Walsh, Daniel Waller.

The current sensitivity to the term “hermaphrodite” is evident with its banishment from the medical lexicon and replacement with a more adequate term: intersex. In biological terms, a true hermaphrodite has both male and female reproductive capabilities, and in humans the label refers to a body whose sex is not clearly defined. The recent scandal involving a professional runner Caster Semenya is evidence of the confusion associated with categorizing gender. Semenya, a 20-year-old South African runner, won the gold in Women’s 800 Meters Run during the 2009 World Championship. Following the victory the International Association of Athletics Federations became suspicious of Semenya’s personal record time and performed gender tests on the athlete. IAAF disqualified Semenya from competition until 2010 when then nature of Semenya’s sex was established. Gender testing has been performed on professional athletes since the late 60’s. Gender assignment of an intersex birth is a complicated task for the doctors and can lead to medically unnecessary cosmetic genital surgeries. A recent transition to the abbreviation DSD (disorder of sexual development) emphasizes intersexuality as a disability. In the battle of gender politics the mission statement of the intersex activists is synchronous with the agenda of the women’s movement and the goals of the LGBT activists, however there is little correspondence between the relatively small intersex community and its allies. Socially, a hermaphrodite is often ostracized, feared, and stigmatized. Yet, in popular culture, a hermaphrodite is exoticised, and often become targets of sensational tabloid myths. (Ex. Jaime Lee Curtis, Lady Gaga). The Intersex Society of North America boldly named their newsletter “Hermaphrodites With Attitude” and protested the discrimination that surrounded them using that slogan.

The Invisible Dog Art Center
51 Bergen Street (between Smith street and Boerum Place) - Brooklyn
Opening Hours:
Thursday to Saturday 1pm to 7pm
Sunday 1pm to 5pm

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