Yes Virginia, There Is A Bronx Museum
Like an oasis in the desert lies the Bronx Museum of the Arts. This relatively small structure, a worthwhile hike up to 165th St. E Grand Concourse, currently houses an exhibition by Quisqueya Henriquez. The Cuban-Dominican artist embodies variety and creativity. Her pieces, ranging from installations to drawings, capture our attention and allow us to partake in her vision. From the moment we enter the museum, the experience begins. We are greeted by an ice cream container that suspiciously has only one flavor—blueberry. As you might imagine, this is no accident. This piece, entitled Caribbean Seawater Ice Cream, as well as 35 photographic prints called Frozen Clothes from The Series Mockeries, “humorously addresses the stereotype of the Caribbean as a “hot-blooded” individual” (The Bronx Museum Introduces a Leading Voice in Latin American Art to American Audiences). The viewer is invited to sample the ice cream, which appears sweet, but is salty in actuality. The other piece, as its name might imply, depicts everyday attire covered in ice. The theme of contrast was, however, not limited to cultural stereotypes.
A brightly tinted drawing turned video clip of a chicken roaming the city and a mosaic depicting a hybrid, half donkey and half car, pit the rural identity against the urban landscape. These pieces emphasize the clash, through shockingly bright colors and easily associated, representative images of the respective lifestyles.
Within the scenic connotations lie those of complexity or an implied lack thereof. It is these that are explored in Brand New Shit, and Playing With Adversity. The former refers to new wallpaper created by the artist depicting images of trash, and the latter new objects, such as handbags and belts, transformed from balls used for various sports. These two pieces show an appreciation for everyday items, but also a simultaneous transience. There is creativity involved in everyday activities, such as sports which many times is undervalued. However, any object, no matter its current state, will one day become nothing more than rubbish.
Bornnaked, a couch wired with speakers that transport you to the streets of Latin America, allows you to sit and quietly become immersed in the sounds of a distant land. You hear a culture in its natural state and are allowed to experience it from the convenience of a couch. As in any culture, however, there are individuals looking to promote an agenda. This idea is explored in Yellow on Yellow, a piece whose title is a play on that of the noted Suprematist work, White on White. A bright yellow screen shows a stream of outlandish propaganda broadcasted by Latin American radio stations, harkening back to the historic birth of “yellow journalism.” Regardless of the constant presence of these ideologies, there is a land beyond the classic and modern; the simple and complex; the cultural and political. It is the universe of thought and ideology.
We are taught to believe that a center is a fixed point about which other things rotate. In her piece, The Center Can Be Everywhere Henriquez challenges this idea. A fairly unattractive image of a belly button is pictured on approximately eight stools. You are allowed to roll about the lobby on the stools, giving motion to the classically stationary center. In The World Outside, we broaden the spectrum of motion to the world as a whole. This piece is a video of a particular area in Latin America taken over three years. As the caption expresses, “Even the most stationary individual exist in a world in constant flux.” Furthermore, movement does not exist in a vacuum. It can grow and expand, spreading ever rapidly. In an untitled installation, Henriquez “used the concept of metastasis, the spreading of cancer cells from one organ to another, to sequence the pattern of how the lighting fixtures on the floor turn on and off, illuminating and darkening the entire space.”
The bright lights and prestige of the borough of Manhattan, the heart of New York City, make it an unrivaled cultural center. However, as Henriquez teaches us, the center need not be fixed. Expand your horizons and embrace the motion of your city. Who knows what treasures you may unearth?
October 12th, 2007 at 1:36 am
Wait they gave you free ice cream?? I have never actually gone to the Bronx other than for a Yankee game so this may give me a reason to go. Contemporary art always seems to peak my interest because it makes you think. You can stare at a piece for several minutes and not understand it. Then later you suddenly are enlightened. It’s almost like a workout of the imagination of the mind.
October 17th, 2007 at 11:52 am
Ravendra, your review truly inspired me to pay a visit to the Bronx museum. Quisqueya Henriquez’s exhibtion seems to really encourage one to expand one’s mind on the “obivous”. I think that is what is so great about visual art. The way you describe how you experience the art displayed in the museum is fantastic because it allows me, as a reader, to follow your thoughts and impression with a certain ease and interest. You found a way to capture exactly what you saw in words – very intriguing!