{"id":19679,"date":"2017-10-24T16:09:15","date_gmt":"2017-10-24T23:09:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hollandreno.org\/\/?p=19679"},"modified":"2017-10-25T14:01:26","modified_gmt":"2017-10-25T21:01:26","slug":"ae","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hollandreno.org\/2017\/10\/ae\/","title":{"rendered":"A+E Day 1: artists & rebels"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Nevada Museum of Art<\/strong> produces the Art + Environment Conference<\/strong> every three years as part of an ongoing commitment to be the center, world-wide, for these themes, thinking, and work. Holland partners with the NMA on a ton of stuff (Scholastic Art Awards, Teen Art Night, 3-Minute Film Festival, Poetry Out Loud, Barrio Block Party, Stranger Show, 4x4x48, an annual summer event, and more). As is tradition, we apply for a scholarship to send a Holland rep to A+E to meet artists, explore new ideas, and be both challenged and inspired. We’d like to thank Claire Munoz for being a great partner and advocate, for saying yes more than no to all our ideas, and making sure we always have a seat at the table. And as part of this deal, a little conference recap and some sharing of the experience is in order!<\/h6>\n

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The Unsettled<\/a><\/em> exhibition and this conference are a major undertaking, and it\u2019s amazing to see the breadth of the work, the major themes at play, and the voices and perspectives represented. We salute NMA curators and staff for their passion and drive and for bringing so many amazing artists and thinkers to our town. It\u2019s a super difficult task – and we are grateful for their hard work and so appreciative of the opportunity to experience so many powerful works. Of course, with any major endeavor or initiative, there are points of conflict and unease. Some of the conflict revolves around\u00a0local artist representation and respect, general community engagement and diversity, problematic sponsorship, Burning Man domination, and our community\u2019s new and controversial connection to tech and development.\u00a0<\/span>The discourse and critical thinking that stems from exhibitions and events like these (with provoking work and themes, and a complicated and large scope) is both a vital and valuable part of the whole equation. We know important dialog will emerge from this, and that it will continue to be had. There\u2019s so much to unpack and think about – the good, the challenging, the empowering – and so much to process. In this recap, we’d like to highlight some of the timely themes and threads, inspiring and interesting ideas, dynamic statements, and most importantly, some of the\u00a0incredible artists<\/b>\u00a0that were able to share their work and processes.<\/span><\/h6>\n
Below we delve into six thought-provoking, highly active <\/strong>and engaged artists<\/strong>, doing some extraordinary work. Each of these artists spoke on Day 1 of the conference, and are all represented in the current Unsettled<\/em> exhibition. From immigration and border politics, to the NSA and the government’s secret projects, to Latinx culture and representation, to a calling out and\/or a leveling of the playing field on issues of race, class, corporate greed, oppression, environmental destruction, human violence and more – take a peek at the work of Minerva Cuevas<\/strong> (Mexico City); Frohawk Two Feathers<\/strong> (Chicago\/LA); Ana Teresa Fernand\u00e9z<\/strong> (Mexico\/Bay Area); Rub\u00e9n Ortiz-Torres<\/strong> (Mexico\/LA); Trevor Paglen<\/strong> (USA\/Berlin); and Bruno Fazzolari<\/strong> (San Francisco).<\/h6>\n
For the Day 2 recap, we’ll interview native artist, activist and performer Nicholas Galanin. For those that haven’t checked out Unsettled<\/em> yet, GO! Remember, high school students are always free (and we have a little stash of passes, too, while supplies last). We also have the exhibition book in the library, and some others of interest (Radical Women – Latin American Art 1960-85<\/a>, See Red Women’s Workshop: Feminist Posters 1974-90<\/a>, and Visual Impact: Creative Dissent in the 21st Century<\/a>) we just picked up during PST: LA\/LA<\/a> (which you can read more about below). <3<\/h6>\n
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MINERVA CUEVAS (Mexico City)<\/strong><\/h4>\n
If you like<\/strong>:
\ncalling out immoral corporations; challenging the mainstream and accepted practices from both big business and national politicians; environmental advocacy and responsibility; work inspired by and made for the resistance; dismantling capitalistic greed; unpacking generations of tension and oppression – specifically in Latin American countries and communities; irony; a knack for mischief and high impact gut-punches; site-specific interventions and protest work; playing with corporate logos and iconography; and acts of rebellion in service of change.<\/h6>\n
Cool Facts:\u00a0<\/strong>
\nMinerva once launched a project using bacteria eating plastic – and centered it on what she believed was the visual epitome of capitalism, a giant dump site in Mexico City. She also produced a project that works to give away products, discounts, and services to students and others in need via sneaky lil methods. It’s a really remarkable undertaking that made real life differences – art as catalyst for real impact, check it out –\u00a0Mejor Vida Corp<\/a>. As part of her work in Unsettled, she explores war imagery and destruction as connected to fire prevention – using a 70 year old icon, Smokey the Bear, as the protagonist. And let us not forget about the project where she marked a path from America to Mexico, painting the rocks in the Rio Bravo that would take you across the border: “the most political act you can do is go from south to north.”<\/h6>\n
For More:<\/strong>
\nArt 21<\/a>
\nSeven Years Ago, A Mexican Artist Turned\u00a0The U.S.-Mexico Border Into A Bridge<\/span><\/a>
\nConsidering Chocolate’s Colonial History<\/a>
\nMinerva Cuevas Shakes Up Status Quo (Just don’t call her an activist)<\/a><\/h6>\n

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FROHAWK TWO FEATHERS (Chicago | Los Angeles)<\/strong><\/h4>\n
If you like<\/strong>:
\nstorytelling and the intersection between fact & fiction; Turkish tableauxs; afrofuturism; reshaped histories; colonial deconstructions; epic adventures; maps; the exploration of place, identity and time (real, imagined, and reimagined); speculation; utopian\/dis-topian narratives; mythology; heroes and villains; cave drawings; and vibes that touch on Basquiat, the antique, the Caribbean, and rebellion; and “crusades to tell the history of marginalized people across the globe.”<\/h6>\n
Cool Facts:<\/strong>
\n#1: Umar Rashid\/Frohawk is also a musician and once played a Teen Art Night back in the day w\/ Who Cares\u00a0 #2: Frohawk developed a map and a history for Lemuria – a legendary (perhaps mythological) lost land, not dissimilar to Atlantis. It’s worth some googlin’ (you’ll find some gems like this<\/a>).<\/h6>\n
For More:<\/strong>
\nUmar Rashid<\/a>
\nNew Ancestors<\/a>
\nThe Speculative Histories of Umar Rashid, aka Frohawk Two Feathers<\/a>
\nAfrofuturism and the Colonial Imaginary<\/a>
\nAn Imaginary Battle Comes to Life at the Hudson River Museum<\/a><\/h6>\n

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