On March 9, dozens of people escaped the crisp, chilly night to crowd into REVERSE gallery in Williamsburg. It was the opening nights of Cuidad Saudade: Architectures of Memory, a group show curated by painter Christian Ruiz Berman. The phrase “cuidad saudade” means, “a feeling or longing for something that one is fond of. Something which is gone, but might return in a distant future.” The works aim to speak to how to internalize the outside world, and carry it with us in our minds through loss, longing, and hope.
The show included works by Christian Berman, Echo Eggebrecht, Ted Gahl, Rubens Ghenov, Laini Nemett, Kanishka Raja, Lumin Wakoa, and Aaron Wexler. While the overall display left quite an impression, a couple of artists really stood out to me. Berman’s immense, psychedelic canvases feature immaculately detailed birds. He uses geometric patterns to create a sense of organized chaos, full of vibrant color and movement. One piece, “Fat Tuesday in Lhasa,” is different from his massive oil paintings. An antique Mexican frame accents a panel covered in acrylic and macaw feathers. Even working outside of his typical medium, there is a sense of movement in the work, and use of feathers as a texture, rather than simple imagery, creates a strong connection between his works presented here. The bird is a perfect image of ciudad saudade—a creature that can return as quickly and silently as it can leave.
Rubens Ghenov, in contrast to Berman, has smaller creations—multimedia, abstract, collage-inspired pieces that vaguely resemble human heads, except fragmented. He also created a larger abstract piece, of harmoniously symmetrical, tribal-looking diamond pattern dripping down over a pale pink background, titled “A Avra do Fogo.” There’s a poignant sense of loss and confusion in his works, without being off-putting for the viewer. While his works convey a sense of disorder, they remain gentle and elegant.
Lumin Wakoa’s pieces are similarly elegant an abstract, and really catch your eye. “A tear in the fabric” is a work comprised of oil on canvas, snakeskin, and torn fabric. It’s a soft peach color, with a small slit showing darkness on the other side, giving the impression of some organism being wounded or compromised. His four piece installation view, “how the slowly forming sea becomes matter, and matter turns to memory,” is a beautifully ephemeral quartet of soft grays, with the only smattering of color being in a nostalgic beach view in the first segment.
The opening itself was a ball. Experimental sound artist Ryan Holladay of Bluebrain performed, and Darling del Oeste played live cumbia, infusing the whole gallery with energy. The show is up until March 31, so check it out at REVERSE, 28 Frost St. in Williamsburg.
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For More Information Visit:
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http://www.reversespace.org
