The Art Museum of the Americas Shows Contemporary Mexican Art

Written by Javier Hernandez Saturday, 25 June 2011 22:02

Washington, DC.- The Art Museum of the Americas is proud to present "Possible Worlds: Mexican Photography and Fiction in Contemporary Art". "Possible Worlds" exemplifies how photography has grown beyond physical reality into exploring new possibilities of expression that are not perceived in the natural world. These works suggest an infinite number of human-made worlds that could exist in realms of fantasy, utopia, myth and fable. "Possible Worlds" aims to bring the viewer into the imaginations of nine Mexican photographers, whose realities are not limited by what can be physically described or contained in a concrete universe. the artists featured in the exhibition are, Mauricio Alejo, Ricardo Alzati, Katya Brailovsky, Alex Dorfsman, Daniela Edburg, Rubén Gutiérrez, Fernando Montiel, Kenia Nárez and Damián Siqueiros. The exhibition is on view at the museum from July 7th through August 28th.

The artists of "Possible Worlds" break away from the tradition of photojournalism, archetypes and traditional models. Influenced by film, literature, fantasy, science fiction, and electronic music, their worlds are conceived by the human mind. These works speak to avenues of the imagination, revealing worlds that are birthed internally and then given permanence in these photographs, rather than documenting the natural world. They are vivid examples of the infinite number of human-made realities that could exist. Among Fables and Myths, 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’ story is more bombastic and laden with activity, as a cluster of humans intertwine, thrust their limbs skyward, and weave through settings that are both majestic and dystopian. Categorized as Science + Fiction are Fernando - 1 of 1 -Montiel’s fantastic images of human forms who glide through the air, levitate in their apartments, and grow plant life from their own bodies. Katya Braylovsky’s body of work brings an element of noir into what appears to be another world that is riddled with tensions and characters that possess strength in their solitude.


Rubén Gutiérrez creates a post-apocalyptic world that is vast in scale and barren in landscape, where the last humans standing wade through oceans and trek through what remains of human-built paths. Daniela Edburg’s characters seem to be mere observers, going about their picturesque lives of family picnics as atomic bombs explode in the distance. The Ordinary Worlds of Mauricio Alejo and Alex Dorfsman are anything but typical. Alejo’s Converse sneaker tucks itself away in the corner of a ceiling, and his character’s arm is swallowed by a sofa. Dorfsman’s subjects are as likely to snack on a bicycle seat as a hot dog. Perhaps the word “ordinary” should be in quotes. Ricardo Alzati’s stark images are details of a single scene where pavement meets water in an oddly desolate urban environment. Alzati was intrigued by the pinpoint details of a 1904 Guillermo Kahlo series depicting the sprawl of Mexico City upon its rural surroundings. The series was commissioned by Mexican President Porfirio Díaz. Interestingly, Kahlo had erased a person from a negative plate, even while other people remained in the image. Alzati’s images take on a similar feeling of open possibilities. These artists photograph their utopias and nightmares alike. The worlds created in the mind are fiction, and may reflect a want to escape, a desire of establishing a new order of elements in the world, or even fables about what we are not now and will never be, but would like to be. There is a freedom in the conception of limitless worlds.

With its unique regional focus, the Art Museum of the Americas collects, preserves, studies, and exhibits works by outstanding artists and carries out other activities of an educational nature. The museum's permanent collection of contemporary Latin American and Caribbean art is one of the most important of its kind in the United States. The museum also maintains a regular schedule of exhibits and related educational programs. The Art Museum of the Americas of the Organization of American States was established in 1976 by resolution of the OAS Permanent Council in tribute to the two-hundredth anniversary of the independence of the United States, host country of the OAS. The historic building housing the Museum was designed by noted architect Paul Cret in 1912 as the residence for the Secretaries General of the Organization of American States. It is Spanish colonial in style with white walls, iron grilles, a red tiled roof and a loggia decorated with richly colored tiles in patterns modeled after Aztec and Mayan art. The history of the permanent collection of the Art Museum of the Americas has roots in the former Visual Arts Unit of the Organization of American States. Under this unit, the first donation of art was received in 1949, a gift of painting by Brazilian artist Candido Portinari.


In 1957 the OAS Permanent Council conferred institutional backing to the collection by establishing a modest Purchase Fund to support the acquisition of art for a collection that was to reflect the contemporary art of the member nations of the OAS to form an enduring cultural resource. Purchases made by the Visual Arts Unit were strongly linked to and influenced by the direction of its exhibition program, and a significant number of works were acquired directly from the artists on the occasion of a temporary exhibit at the OAS Gallery. In many cases, an OAS exhibition represented the artist's first individual exhibit outside of his/her country of origin. When the museum officially opened in 1976, the collection numbered 250 works. Today, the collection has grown to close to 2000 objects in varying media including painting, sculpture, installations, prints, drawings and photographs. It reflects the rich diversity of artistic expression found in the region and provides an overview of stylistic and iconographic trends beginning in the early 20th-century. Exhibitions from the collection are regularly presented in the museum and works from the collection are loaned to other cultural institutions for special exhibitions. The museum’s extensive art archives complements the art collection and is an important research resource for documentation. Both collections serve to preserve a unique visual and written record of the artistic achievements of artists of the Americas and their contributions to world art. Visit the museum's website at ... http://museum.oas.org

---

Click on logo below to add this article to your favorite Social Website ~