The Update

JANUARY 8, 2020 - FEBRUARY 26, 2020 CURATED BY KIARA CRISTINA VENTURA AUDREAMIA WARDLOW DILLON GARDNER ESTELLE MAISONETT MARK MALAVE MONICA FLORES PATRICK ALSTON ROCIO MARIE CABRERA RON BAKER SORINN LILLICO STANLEY STEEL

In the 1970s, the Bronx became home to the birth of hip hop and styles of graffiti, which were pushed by narratives of poverty, street violence, and the experience of being a member of an underserved community. At the same time, it became a home for a new wave of artistic culture and underground movements. As hip hop and graffiti provided a foundation and soil for Bronx creativity, a newer generation of artists arose and proved that Bronx artists can experiment with mediums beyond DJ sets and spray paint. By referring to influences of native BX styles, these artists continue telling the street narratives of The Bronx including contemporary issues as part of the conversation — issues of displacement, gentrification, street violence, representation, and economic struggle. With statistics that show the Bronx has the highest poverty rate out of all New York City boroughs, this exhibition is also a celebration of the local community, networks, collectives, and the overall collective artistry that is constantly being created here despite the lack of access and resources.

The Update presents works by Bronx artists of now who are telling their story and the street narratives of the borough all while commemorating the rich history behind them. Consisting of ten artists under thirty, The Update is defining the next generation of Bronx artists by highlighting local art collectives, underground nightlife, and artist networks who are creating experimental practices. Reflecting the local community, The Update consists of artists of color who are addressing daily lived experiences, influences, and modes of expression. Blurring lines in the contemporary art world, the works speak to the history of abstract painting, conceptual sculpture, photo and video journalism, street art, textile art, and assemblage. Through a variety of mediums including photography, video, painting, sculpture, and mixed media, the artists collectively demonstrate how their identity, culture, and native borough play a key component in shaping their visual narrative. While speaking on issues we face as a borough, this new generation is actively reflecting the Bronx’s street culture, fashion, aesthetic, and history yet updating them with a true, contemporary, and ground breaking vision. Kiara Cristina Ventura is a Dominican-American writer and curator from the Bronx who aims to be a support for young artists of color especially those from underrepresented communities in the art world. Ventura graduated with a B.A. in Art History and Journalism at NYU in 2018. In the past, she has worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Cosmopolitan Magazine for Latinas, Art Forum, Grey Art Gallery, and the Brooklyn Museum. She is an art critic for Art Forum, Performa Magazine, and Cultured Magazine. Ventura created ArtsyWindow in 2015 and has expanded as a platform that curates exhibitions and programs. In July 2018, she began teaching art history classes about modern and contemporary artists of color to combat Euro-centric art history curriculums. Under ArtsyWindow, her classes are held in a variety of spaces from living rooms to community to gallery spaces.

Ventura won the BAS Bronx Emerging Curators Open Call in 2018 which resulted in an exhibition, “FOR US.” Most recently in August 2019, she started Teen Vogue’s first art column, Art School, highlighting the work of visual artists through intimate profiles about their experiences, career, and muses. This year, she curated “Still Here” alongside Larry OsseiMensah and Dexter Wimberly at the Museum of The African Diaspora, San Francisco. Her latest exhibition “The Radical Act of Taking Up Space,” opened at VisArts Center (Rockville, Maryland) and she assisted curator Larry Ossei-Mensah in curating “Double Trouble,” a February James and John Rivas exhibition at Ross & Kramer Gallery, NYC. Ventura’s ultimate goal is to continue in creating inclusive spaces for artists of color whether that’d be virtually through articles, video content, or physically through carefully curating creative environments.