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20/1/2005

¡Dominicanazo!

Samson Projects, Boston

Contemporary Dominican Art

Almost a year in the planning, ¡Dominicanazo!, brings to Boston the most exciting artists from Alvarez's native Dominican Republic. Riding the dynamic art wave swelling throughout the Caribbean and Latin America, SAMSON PROJECTS presents the most provocative and stirring images from the current Dominican art scene. The artists include: Elia Alba, Tony Capellán, José García Cordero, Nicolás Dumít Estévez, Mónica Ferreras, Iliana Emilia García, Scherezade García, Pascal Meccariello and Belkis Ramírez.

In the Dominican Republic, a country in which painting has always prevailed, sculpture is seldom attempted, and performance art is often misunderstood this group show will include installation, sculpture, video and painting. What unifies this exhibit is the artists questioning, reflection and ultimate rejection of local restrictions. Through their imagery, they expose their country's social problems - issues of poverty, tourism and third world politics. The exhibition decodes and debunks cultural stereotypes as the artists use diverse ways to translate their experiences in relation to their culture, gender and sexual positioning. The local flavor is re-contextualized for international consumption. Pascal Meccariello dictates, Art is a great delusion, an obstinate rebelliousness that prevents us from being satisfied with the mere appearance of things and imposes upon us the task of seeking its essence. Mónica Ferreras psychoanalytical mandala paintings attempt to capture the essence of thoughts.

Elia Alba's body suits comment on the ephemeral nature of skin and its cultural labels. The poignant sculpture by Tony Capellán, included in the Samson exhibit, uses found objects to invoke the hunger pains suffered by the country's children while Belkis Ramírez, an architect by trade, incorporates wire, fences and netting to depict the distressing position of women in this traditional machista culture. Ramírez, whose work evolved from printmaking, will exhibit sculptures. Performance artist, Nicolás Dumít Estévez, recently received the Franklin Furnace Award and in 2002 was chosen to be part of the National Studio Program at P.S. 1/MOMA. José García Cordero, clearly the elder statesman among this group of contemporary artists, divides his time between studios in Santo Domingo and Paris. Cordero creates large-scale paintings that reflect both the duality of his personal experience and the historical clash between European and Caribbean culture. Scherezade and Iliana Emilia García are sisters with unique voices. Scherezade questions paradise through a baroque sensibility. She is fascinated with the duality of everything . Iliana Emilia's multimedia work is strongly experiential as the imagination and curiosity dictates one's encounter. With the growing interest in Latin American and Caribbean art, two New England museums are also exploring contemporary art from the Caribbean.

Coinciding with SAMSON PROJECTS ¡Dominicanazo!, which focuses solely on Dominican artists, the RISD Museum currently has an exhibition on new art from island nations and the Peabody Essex Museum will open an exhibit of contemporary art from the Caribbean in February. The show opens January 21st, on Día de la Altagracia, a religious holiday in Dominican culture, closing on Sunday, February 27th - Dominican Independence Day. SAMSON PROJECTS will hold a grand fiesta in the gallery at 6 PM to celebrate Dominican Independence Day.

Curated by Dominican gallerist Camilo Alvarez.

The public is invited to an artist talk in the gallery on Saturday, January 22, 2 PM.

Opening: Friday, January 21st, 2005.

Press Contact: Barbara Quiroga

SAMSON PROJECTS - 450 Harrison Avenue - Storefront 63 - Boston, Ma 02118
Gallery Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 12 to 6 PM and by appointment

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