CAPASSO+KELLER+TINAJERO
InMesh
March 27 - May 10, 2014
Opening Reception: Thursday, March 27, 6PM - 8PM
Artist Talk: Saturday April 5, 2PM

InMesh, the latest work of artists collaborative CAPASSO+KELLER+TINAJERO, immerses visitors in the sights and sounds of the Amazon, exploring how culture modulates our interactions with nature.

Fishnets woven by the Shuar people of Ecuador ensnare visitors to the gallery, coursing them through different spatial realities of spirituality, where men share a bond with other living creatures, and of materiality, where that bond is severed. Animals and the lands they inhabit are first perceived as subjects to venerate then as objects to exploit. The inclusion of poetry by Shuar poet Clarita Sharupi Jua adds poignancy to what the Shuar are in the process of losing and what we have already lost.

Far from an either-or proposition, InMesh is a provocation engaging the public in the most pressing issues of our times. According to the artists: "The piece asks visitors to reflect on the ubiquity and power of culture in defining who we are in relation to the natural world. Our goal is to facilitate a more critical dialogue that will contribute to establishing a more sustainable and, above all, more respectful relationship with the Earth."

InMesh is the first in a series of exhibitions on the environment, presenting diverse perspectives by artists worldwide. The eco-series features works that push artistic practice beyond the boundaries of form and content, deploying strategies that challenge conceptions of art and activism. It is is curated by Judith Escalona, Director of MediaNoche: "We had seen a previous work by CAPASSO+KELLER+TINAJERO and were drawn to their intuitive way of fusing electronic and tactile elements that raise questions of sustainability. The ethical and even moral implications of InMesh made it the most fitting work to open our environmental series."

Ariadna Capasso, Damián Keller, and Patricia Tinajero have been collaborating since 1998. InMesh is the latest of a long series of research and installations focused on environmental and social issues, including the large-scale multimedia installations Green Canopy (2005-2009), Urban Corridor (2000-2003), Carry On-Carry Away (2001-2003) and Palafito (2012-2013), exhibited at Museo de las Americas, Denver. Other collaborations between Keller and Capasso are La Conquista (2000-2005), Vivir sin después (2004-2006), and Sisyphus (2004). They have also published numerous critical writings.

Ariadna Capasso is a visual and multimedia artist from Argentina. She is a recipient of Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and Jerome Foundation grants.

Damián Keller is a composer and researcher from Argentina. He is the principal researcher of the Amazon Center for Music Research (NAP) in Acre, Brazil.

Patricia Tinajero is a sculpture and installation artist from Ecuador. She is a recipient of an Associate Fellowship at the American Academy in Rome (2010) and received First Place Award at the Colorado Biennial (2003) exhibited at the Denver Museum of Contemporary Art.

Clarita Sharupi Jua is a contemporary poet from the Shuar, an indigenous people in Ecuador. Her poems were featured at the 22nd International Poetry Festival of Medellín (Colombia), June 2012, and the 5th Annual Poetry Festival of Languages of the Americas (Mexico), October 2012.

InMesh is made possible in part with support from LMCC/Manhattan Community Arts Fund and a NALAC Fund for the Arts grant from the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures.