SPRING/BREAK Art Show 

September 6-11, 2023 

 

Whispers

Curated by Emireth Herrera Valdés

 

Whispers is inspired by the theme of New Mysticism. Bianca Abdi-Boragi, Zac Hacmon, Kahori Kamiya and Jamie Martinez, explore healing, ancestral connections and cultural interchange. This exhibition encourages a deeper understanding of the mysteries that surround us, featuring artists from different continents.

 

Jamie Martinez brings a complex narrative to the show, offering insight into the pre-Hispanic period, evoking mysticism, and honoring indigenous culture. He aims to provoke contemplation about eroded indigenous beliefs, investigate art's potential as a conduit for the afterlife journey, and orchestrate meaningful rituals and communal gatherings that highlight the significance of cultural exchange in society. Martinez's Deities Piñata installation portrays Mexican culture. The piñata symbolizes the blending of Christianity and Aztec beliefs.This symbolizes the multicultural connections between Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Piñatas also symbolize the seven deadly sins; when broken, the candies inside represent love and rebirth.

 

Zac Hacmon examines urban mysticism by exploring the architectural voids that shape our cities. His sculptures resemble the modern and industrial architectural elements found in our surroundings. By wandering the urban space and becoming aware of our surroundings, Hacmon invites viewers to awaken their consciousness and discover the wounds and multiple paths within the architectural space. Hacmon’s Units hold the vibrations of the city, restoring and revitalizing the energy within them. Individuals can find a sense of safety within the otherwise claustrophobic urban landscape by engaging with these artworks. 

 

Kahori Kamiya's work is a potent antidote to the oversaturated world of technology, reclaiming the healing power through her innate intuition and instinct. Kamiya examines the concept of Samsāra from her Japanese background–the eternal cycle of transmigration in Hindu and Buddhist philosophy. It embodies the belief that life never truly ends but rather undergoes a transformation. The sculpture Blooming Flow explores the profound act of giving life to another, encompassing breastfeeding, nurturing vulnerable lives, and the inevitability of death and reincarnation. While Buddhism undoubtedly influences Kamiya's art, it rises above mere adherence to dogmas and doctrines. 

 

Bianca Abdi-Boragi's artistic endeavors eloquently manifest heartfelt representations, encompassing personal introspection and an understanding of the human experience. In Hourglass Screen, she evokes the ephemeral nature of life as a reminder of our ability to surpass challenges and misfortunes, transforming them into catalysts for personal growth and evolution. Her painting Give Montreuil examines the profound notion of perceiving life as a cherished gift of love, emphasizing the intrinsic value of faith. Through these hand gestures, Abdi-Boragi's art evokes her memories of migrants visiting flea markets, unveiling the rich culture embedded within oneself, and transcending the limitations of spoken language. 

 

About the artists

 

Kahori Kamiya (b. Nagoya, Japan) is an interdisciplinary artist based in New York who works stem from cultural identity and her experience of womanhood. Kamiya's works are globally exhibited, such as in Japan, Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, Poland, Russia, Estonia, Australia, Canada, and the United States. Exhibitions include Dumbo Arts Festival in Brooklyn, the 14th Media Art Biennale Alternative Now in Poland, and Pärnu International Film & Video Festival in Estonia, Woodstock Artists Association Museum in New York,  Oculus Westfield World Trade Center in New York among many others. Her works are also collected by Fuji Sengen Shrine, NichidaiFujisawa High school lobby, and private collectors in Japan, US, and Israel.

 

Jamie Martinez (b. Ibagué, Colombia) is an interdisciplinary artist who explores the intersection of history, research, indigenous spirituality, and ancient beliefs. His art includes paintings, sculptures, and installations that serve as a commentary on colonialism, mysticism, and labor. His work has been featured in major outlets such as Hyperallergic, CNN, New York Magazine, The Observer, Newsweek, The Daily Beast, Yale University radio WYBCX, NTN24 (TV interview), Good Day New York (TV interview), Fox News (TV interview), Whitehot Magazine, Whitewall Magazine, and more. He has also exhibited at the Queens Museum, Spring Break Art Show, Petzel Gallery, Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Gallery at the New School, Collar Works, Galerie Richard, Whitebox NY, The Gabarron Foundation, Flowers Gallery, Foley Gallery, Rush Gallery, and many more.

 

Zac Hacmon (b. Holon, Israel) is an artist based in New York. He has recently exhibited at the Locust Projects, Miami (FL), the Tel Aviv Museum of Art (Israel), Smack Mellon Gallery (New York), Petach Tikva Museum of Art (Israel), Meet Factory Gallery (Czech Republic), and Artsonje Center (South Korea), The MAC, Belfast (Ireland), Hunter East Harlem Gallery (New York), Jack Shainman Gallery (New York), The Border Project Space (New York). Hacmon has had residencies at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Omaha (NE), the Fountainhead, Miami (FL), the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council's Workspace program (LMCC) and Salem Art Works (NY), MeetFactory Studio (Czech Republic), and MMCA National Art Studio in Seoul (South Korea). He has received the 2021 Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) Creative Engagement Grant, the 2020 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship in Craft/Sculpture, the Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grant, the Santo Foundation Individual Artist Award 2019, and the Cafe Royal Cultural Foundation Visual Project Exhibition Grant 2019. Hacmon received an MFA from Hunter College and a BFA from Bezalel Academy of Art and Design (Israel).

 

Bianca Abdi-Boragi is a French-Berber/ American interdisciplinary artist born in Paris, France, who received her BFA from ENSAPC (Paris) and her MFA from Yale School of Art, Sculpture in 2017. Solo exhibitions include the Border Project Space Gallery and CADAF Art Fair, she has exhibited with GHOSTMACHINE, Central Part Tower's Penthouse, SPRING/BREAK Art Show, the Flux Factory, Heaven Gallery Chicago, the Immigrant Artist Biennial, NARS Foundation, The Border Project Space, VCU Arts, NURTUREart Gallery, Chashama Gallery, Field Project Gallery, Galerie Protégé, The Clemente Soto Velez Center NY, throughout the United States and internationally and has screened art films at Anthology Film Archive, UnionDocs, Video Revival, NY, the Whitney Humanity Center, and Loria Center, New Haven, CT. Abdi-Boragi was the recipient of the JUNCTURE Fellowship in Art and International Human Rights from the Yale Law School and was recently in residency at NARS Foundation and previously at MASS MoCA's studios, the Centquatre, Paris, France, Pact Zollverein, Essen, Germany, CalArts, Los Angeles.

 

About the curator

 

Emireth Herrera Valdés (b. Saltillo, Mexico) is an independent curator from northern Mexico, currently based in Brooklyn, New York. With a passion for interdisciplinary research, Herrera seeks to challenge dominant narratives and offer new perspectives on issues that affect underrepresented communities. Herrera has curated exhibitions such as “Invisible Hands” at 601Artspace, "S.T.E.P." at Queens Museum, "Tongue Tide," "3459’" at Flux Factory in NYC, and "Todos Bien" at the Sinaloa Museum of Art in Mexico. She co-curated "Grilo/Fernández-Muro" at the Institute of Fine Arts, NYU funded by the Institute for Studies on Latin American Art. She has organized numerous public programs between the MARCO Museum in Monterrey, Mexico, the Autonomous University of Coahuila and the TATE Modern Gallery in London. Her project "From the Vulnerable Territory to the Utopia'' was presented at the AROS Museum in Aarhus, Denmark. Her articles have been published by The Brooklyn Rail, Arte Fuse, and VISTAS by ISLAA in New York. She is currently guest curator at Residency Unlimited.