Calle Ouvert Gallery/Studio in Barrio San Juan, Mérida, will present “Colaboración,” an exhibition featuring six artists, a new contemporary dance trio, and a short art film.
“Colaboración” begins with Ian Smith’s polychromatic palette influenced by the minimalism of famed architect Luis Barragán. His work has order and a sense of peace bathed in luminosity, explains the curators.
In the next room, accessed through a portal, is the work of Alejandro Gamboa in a collaborative installation. The essence of his work was described as interrupted intimacy. Painted shower curtains divide the space between the “Artist’s bedroom as a teenager” and his “gallery,” where more elaborately painted plastic layers and an absolutely transgressive scene of sex organs cohabitate with diametrically different opposed designs printed on the curtains.
In the courtyard are three black lacquered boxes with curtains, the work of Beth Woronoff Brown. Through the curtains lay an erotic universe that draws a subtle line between the lascivious and the resplendent sexuality that is almost always hidden. The provocative positions of the figures, the lack of heads and faces, and the multi-organed primitive figures provoke thought and begin a discussion about sexuality in our society.
The next room shows the work of Álvaro Sainz as his pen drawings unfold with the traces of his subconscious. There, with the help of David Brown, the two have built a curatorial line that seeks to make a total exploration of what lives in the subconscious of their archetypes.
Evgeniya Korotchenko’s sculptures are displayed in the next room with elegance and coherence developed through the collaboration with Beth and David. Evgeniya’s heads, cubes, and sculptures have ancient-looking textures and a poetic nature by using, among other means, seeds grown in the clay to leave traces left by the roots.
In the garden are the works of Raul Gasque. Several of them have remained outside for months, absorbing the sun, water, sound, and dust. These pieces, inspired by the poems of the Japanese poet Keijiro Suga, seek to connect with the viewer through the calm gaze of those who visit.
The film, which was shown in Lake Placid, Tokyo and Paris Lift-Off film festivals, is called
“Kuma Brings the Pearls, A Love Story on Three Frozen Lakes.” The Jamaican dancer enlists the help of the dog Kuma to win over the Ice Skater. It is a biographical and whimsical film set on stunning pristine lakes in the Catskills, New York.
Beth Woronoff Brown and David Brown said they engage with the artists’ work and devise installations and a format for viewing the work as a springboard for new directions. David is a former principal dancer with the Martha Graham Dance Company, and Beth has been a professional skater for over 35 years.
The dance, choreographed by Beth Woronoff Brown with help from David Brown, was performed by Chang Kan Cheih, Veronica Escalante and Isa Pizarro Urrutia. Though Beth has been an ice skating choreographer for decades, this is her first choreography for the floor.
The Gudiesque Garden, where organic, sculptural forms cohabit with plant life, creating a dreamlike atmosphere, will also be open for viewing.
Opening night includes a dinner (800 pesos) to raise money to produce more collaborations and dance performances.
Calle Ouvert Gallery is at Calle 62 571A, Centro, Mérida.
Dance performance and film (200 pesos) 6 p.m. Dec. 9, 15 and 16.
Art show only (free) 7 p.m. Dec. 9, 15 and 16.
Calle Ouvert Ice is a registered American non-profit organization.
