Sospecha en el paraíso: What is Shining From The Other Side Of The Border?

Daniel Martin Rincón

October 30, 2024

There is an ideal in Latin America about the USA that comes from the movies, tv shows, and publicity. Constantly giving us an image between perfection and idealization, but when you go there and get closer, it seems like there’s something wrong. Not necessarily wrong but it’s kind of empty, it’s like everything looks great just from a distance. This project is an exploration around the expectation and promise of what shines on the other side of the border and how all those ideals and promises of happiness break down when you are in front of those landscapes.
Throughout the research I’ve been trying to find a dissenting way to approach the place where everybody wants to be, embracing the possibility to stay outside and inside of it. Also, how does this way of living force the reality to a dream, while living in a borrowed or stolen everyday life. This allows us to think and play with the representation of the landscape being part of it and understanding the idea of being floating as a way of inhabiting the world.

Some of the questions around the project are: How to build an independent wandering territory? What are the shades of illegality as a person out of “home? Where is it inside or outside?

Daniel Martin Rincón is a visual artist from Colombia, an anecdotes and images collector that turns images into investigations and reflections around the itinerant. Looking at irregular relationships in restless places, where what matters is: packing and carrying as a trade or instinct. Using drawing, performance, photography and sculpture as spontaneous acts, he becomes a participant and at the same time the voyeur arranging dialogues around impermanence. He tries to talk about something that doesn’t have positive or negative implications. It’s about using playfulness as a bridge to find ways to express the untranslatable words and feelings, moving between some kind of borders. Daniel founded “El sindicato de dibujo”, a space for experimentation and revision of contemporary drawing and co-founded the theater and performance group “La celebración de la nube”,where they have performed in unconventional spaces in Colombia.

Revolutionary Speech and Imperial Tongues

Layan Attari

November 6, 2024

Translations of politically and culturally charged terms related to the Palestinian struggle for liberation often become neutralized or distorted, undermining their intended meanings and reducing their impact. What are the limitations of language, and how do we navigate its function within systems of power? How do words spark passion, and how do dominant forces work to commodify and counter them? How do we speak the language of revolution in a world ideologically dominated by neoliberalism and the expansionist desires of empire? These questions drive my exploration of an English translation of the Palestinian National Anthem, where the word “Fida’i” is rendered as “warrior,” stripping it of its deeper connotations of sacrifice, devotion, and unwavering commitment to liberation. This research seeks to uncover how language can either empower revolutionary movements or reinforce the status quo.

Layan Attari (b. Kuwait) is a visual artist who seeks to understand how meaning is preserved, passed on, and transformed within the nation-state. Her work challenges the invisible forces that shape perception and connection.

Homewrecker Orientation: Houses As Cabinets Of Curiosities For Identity, Transition, And Utopian Possibilities

Eugene I-Peng Tang

November 13, 2024

I have dedicated a few years to photographing domestic spaces, ranging from my childhood home to the houses of various individuals after moving to the US. Each home is filled with symbols that convey unique stories and identities. My own home is located in a compound community characterized by a social class, predominantly composed of overseas scholars. Many of my neighbors’ children have relocated abroad—a path that my parents and I have also taken. I capture vacant homes of neighbors and collaborate with various individuals to document different domestic environments. This process involves deconstructing the physical structures of these homes while examining their interiors through interviews and observations. By analyzing the composition of symbols within these spaces, I delve into how personal preferences reflect and shape the relationship between a home and its owner. This endeavor offers a lens to reflect on my sexuality and gender role through the collaborations. I engage with themes surrounding aging in the gay community, issues of closeted people, the complexities of “daddy issues,” and the interplay of race and power dynamics. Additionally, I am seeking a transient utopia through queer desire, celebrating collective joy and inclusivity as I step into these spaces.

Eugene I-Peng Tang (湯翊芃), is a Taiwanese artist based in Chicago. His work explores encounters and (non)traditional social relationships, merging his Asian identity with the “home” experiences of himself and his subjects, reflecting on the alienation and conflicts present in Western society. He uses the camera and performance as tools to measure relationships, exploring the dynamics of power between people. Tang emphasizes the dynamic nature of the art-making process, integrating performance into his photography and video installations.