NEW EXHIBITION PRESENTS THE MASK: ONE SYMBOL, MANY INTERPRETATIONS

Image card for exhibition from Barry University Institute for Immigration Studies.

A new exhibit, presented by Barry University’s Institute for Immigration Studies, focuses on physical representations of the immigration experience. Artists from 10 countries deconstruct, analyze, and trouble the theme of immigration with their divergent interpretations of the mask. The results are both thought provoking and highly emotional.

Ola Rondiak (Ukraine), Title: Twelve. Artwork: plaster, collage, paint, styrofoam, rope, wire, wood 2023, Dimensions 29,5”W x 12”H x 9”D. Photo courtesy the artist.

For example, Ola Rondiak’s sculpture, Twelve, (NY, FL, Ukraine, 2023), is a vertical, almost floating, mask of plaster, collage, paint, rope, and wire, mounted on wood that symbolizes the disconnection of the immigrant adult mind with the nostalgia of one’s motherland, from childhood. Her floating mask is deeply personal and emblematic of the particular challenges of a woman’s immigration journey.

Martin Cano’s, Bites of Life with the M in Zigzag (Ecuador, 2013), uses cupcake glasses, charcoal, acrylic, marker and fluorescent lacquer to create a flat mask that presents like a mural. His work shows migrant courage in “digesting the different moments of daily life in a new place.”

Adriana Torres’ (Mexico, 2023), Migrant Amazon Queen, uses recycled materials to represent an artist’s migration as cultural diplomacy. Her mask traces the migration routes on a map on its face and plume. Her queen carries her crown with dignity and pride. The exhibit presents four works from Venezuelan artist Mariana Monteagudo, Dirty Face, Headdress, Mini Mask and Blond, all produced in 2023.

Each piece reflects the artist’s inspiration from global pop cultures, from ancient times to the modern day. As she seamlessly mixes Western toys and Japanese manga with influences from the pre-Columbian era, she invites viewers to form their own connections with different eras and cultures.

The exhibit also features Helena Marcotulio, Adriana Herrera-Rivera, Vicente Antonorsi, Gian Pablo Polito, from Venezuela, Cuban artist Cesar Garcia, Monica Czukerberg from Argentina, and Felisa Prieto, from Colombia.

What: Reasoned Memories / Memorias Razonadas Exhibition
When: February 2024-October 2024
Where: Barry University Library Exhibit Space, 1300 NE 2nd Avenue, Miami Shores, FL 33161
Info: Admission is free. For a private tour of the exhibit, contact Giselle Rios at 3058993389

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