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11/9/2011

Possible Worlds

The Gabarron Foundation, New York

curated by Marisol Argüelles

The Gabarron in New York is pleased to present “Possible Worlds: Photography and Fiction in Mexican Contemporary Art”, a traveling exhibition curated by art historian Marisol Argüelles. “Possible Worlds” examines the use of fiction in photography as a method for challenging the conventional boundaries that establish our physical world. Emerging from the artists’ imaginations, these “possible worlds” are proposed as alternatives to our own reality. The exhibition has been organized by the Art Museum of the Americas of the OAS and the Mexican Cultural Institute in collaboration with the Carriage House Center for the Arts. The exhibition is supported by The Embassy of Mexico, The Permanent Mission of Mexico to the OAS and Friends of the Art Museum of the Americas. The opening reception will be held on Monday September 12th, from 6 to 8 PM.

“Possible Worlds” features the work of nine contemporary Mexican artists, represented by more than 50 individual pieces. These artists are part of a new generation of photographers who break away from traditional modes of photography, to explore this medium’s potential as an outlet for the imagination. The exhibition’s central theme is articulated in five distinct yet interwoven groups: Fables and Myths, Science and Fiction, Apocalypse, Ordinary Worlds, and Erased. For this exhibition, a selection of the artists’ works will travel to the Carriage House Center for the Arts from the Art Museum of the Americas of the OAS in Washington, D.C., where the exhibition is currently on view in its original format.

Fables and Myths embraces the existence of fantasy, fables and myth. Kenia Nárez’ narrative of the relationship between a girl and a sheep, played out in a vast flatland under heavenly skies, suggests a story that is both maternal and solitary. Damián Siqueiros’ sympathetic groupings evoke an emotional depth that is at once familiar and displaced, majestic and dystopian. Science and Fiction illuminates the subtle barrier between possible and impossible. Within this group, Fernando Montiel explores faith and its establishment of facts through suspension of dis-belief by manipulating faith-bound realities, set within everyday surroundings, stripped bare of religious context. Katya Brailovsky uses photography as a surrealistic device that probes her subconscious to locate and project memories from an immaterial past that exists solely in her mind. The Apocalypse is envisioned in two stages, pre- and post-Apocalyptic eras. Daniela Edburg assembles vibrant scenes that sarcastically portray her characters as observers and victims in uncanny theatrical productions of the End of Days. Rubén Gutiérrez’ envisions a decay ridden wasteland laboring beneath an infinite expanse of leaden sky as one navigates through the rubble of humanity. Ordinary Worlds disrupts our understanding of the ways in which we see, are seen in, and recreate our world. Images by Alex Dorfsman draw the viewer’s attention to the ways in which we “picture” the world of our consumerist realities, one day revered for the possibilities they promise and the next day discarded when its desirous elixir fades. Mauricio Alejo focuses upon the object in space by placing it in strange juxtaposition to its immediate environment, at once humanizing the object by animating the inanimate, while drawing attention to the overlooked contours of its surroundings. Ricardo Alzati’s photography concludes the exhibition with the grouping Erased. He presents worlds of possibilities in his photographs, focusing on subtle erasures – what/who has been removed from the frame – rather than what remains.

Marisol Argüelles is an art historian who studied at the Ibero-American University in Mexico. She curated exhibitions for the Museo Carrillo Gil in Mexico City from 2002 through 2007. She has curated solo exhibitions with Jeff Burton, Mark Wallinger, Iran do Spirito Santo, and Kara Walker. From 2007 through 2009, she headed the Department of Research and Exhibitions of the National Institute of Fine Arts of Mexico. She has contributed as a curator for fairs such as the London Art Fair, the Toronto Art Fair, MACO (Mexico), and Pulse (United States). She is currently the chief registrar and researcher of the Museum of Modern Art, Mexico City.

The mission of The Mexican Cultural Institute of New York is to strengthen the image of Mexico and foster a better understanding of our country through the promotion of its art and culture. Our objectives include making sure that our activities have a high and lasting impact among all the multiethnic and multicultural communities in the New York City area. In addition, the Institute aims to generate interest among the Mexican communities in the Tri-State region by presenting Mexico’s most relevant artistic expressions ranging from the Pre-Columbian period to contemporary art.

The Gabarron Foundation – Carriage House Center for the Arts is a non-profit organization and an exclusive international center specializing in art exhibitions and other cultural activities. Its main objective is the promotion of Culture, making this multicultural space a reference in the City of New York. Since 2002 the Carriage House has aspired to be an excellent platform for the propagation of Hispanic culture in the United States. This organization promotes exchange and understanding between Spanish and American cultures, providing a space for interaction and enhanced appreciation of emerging and established cultural figures from both countries.

For further information and/or images, please contact:
Megan Arazi, Curatorial and Exhibitions department; T: 212 573 6968; exhibitions@gabarron.org

Opening: September 12, from 6-8 pm

The Gabarron Foundation
Carriage House Center for the Arts, 149 East 38th Street, New York NY 10016
Hours
Mon - Fri 9a.m. - 5 p.m. EST
Visits by appointment

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