Dissolving Borders is a group exhibition featuring the works of members of the New Latinx Art Collective. The exhibition opened its doors on April 18th, and will run until May 9th, at JVS Project Space in New York City. The participating artists ponder the concept of borders beyond their conception as mere physical demarcations of space. By connecting contrasting modes of thinking, these lines blur and, with that, so do any differences there may be among the artists in question. A rich tapestry of visual art, photographs, performances and videos, the exhibition offers a tool for understanding the thought processes of the artists. In addition, the show includes two performances: one on April 24th, and a first-ever, closing performance featuring all members of the collective, on Sunday, May 9th.
As immigrant artists, each one has a different way of thinking about the conceptual aspects of borders; they reflect on the issue according to their personal experiences. Thus, the conceptualization of borders arises from an array of circumstances each one has lived through. Filtered through different ways of thinking, borders emerge as something more abstract than the demarcation of a line in space. They are rather philosophical metaphors from each artist’s subjectivities, which necessarily includes cultural, racial, economic and sexual implications.
Co-curated by Ezequiel Taveras and Julia Justo, who are members of the collective, the exhibition witnesses the participation of the following artists: Ana de Orbegoso, Andrea Coronel, Arantxa Araujo, Bibi Flores, Carlos David, Ezequiel Taveras, Fernando Valencia, Fernando Vieira, Francheska Alcantara, Gabriel Torres, Hugo Rojas, Jessica Alazraki, Jorge Luis Berrios, Juanita Lanzo, Julia Justo, Naivy Perez, Natacha Voliakovsky, Rene Maynez, Sabrina Merayo Nuñez, Safet Bektesevic, Sebastian Morales, Tina Wang, Verónica Peña and Yali Romagoza.
Artists in the show respond to the circumstances of personal, social and political boundaries with artworks that question existing paradigms regarding imaginary lines, and which ultimately strive to reconnect communities in a space of experimentation. Their works explore notions of resilience, strength and empathy in the face of social struggles and turmoil in today’s America. The artists are working together toward a single objective: “Dissolving Borders.’’
About the New Latinx Art Collective and its origins
The New Latinx Art Collective is actively managed by 24 founding artists and includes 70 members. As a politically inclined art collective, it aims to create a space for the community to come together, voice ideas, gain visibility, and explore intersectionalities within Latinx identities in the US.
The collective endeavors to grow the voice of Afro Caribbean, Black Latinx, Indigenous, Native communities, Hispanic, Latino, and Latinx, artists to positively impact culture and society in the United States. Art is their tool to enhance visibility, comment, critically address, and emphasize the topics that affect not only the Latinx community but also the different countries they come from.
Everything started when individual artists came together as selected participants of the Creative Capital’s Taller, an artist professional development program launched in NYC, in partnership with the Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics at NYU, El Puente, and Casita Maria between 2018 and 2020. The program brought the artists together and allowed each one to understand how to navigate the art ecosystem in NYC by focusing on professional development and creating a fertile ground for horizontal collaboration. After the program ended, artists realized the importance of forming a collective and sharing space and time to decide the mission of uplifting each other by focusing on Latinx communities and generating impactful change. As part of their mission statement, the artists have mentioned that “by supporting each other’s ideas, our voices resonate louder, and our impact increases the possibilities to walk in the path of social justice.”
@newlatinxartcollective www.newlatinxartcollective.org
New Latina Art Collective to host first group exhibition
JVS Project Space 181 E 108 Street, (Lexington and 3rd Avenue)
April 18 – May 9, 2021
Thursday through Saturday
Gallery Hours: 3PM – 7PM