Category: reviews

by: Thalia Vrachopoulos

Ran Hwang’s latest exhibition at the uptown Leila Heller Gallery re-introduces an abundance of transient forms and the eternal ephemeral. Hwang’s oeuvre – many of her artworks are located in such prestigious collections as, the Brooklyn Museum, the Houston Museum of Fine Arts and Seoul’s National Museum of Contemporary Art– is inspired by her ever-changing life between the US and Korea, as well as her life-long practise of Seon Buddhism. Hwang’s two-dimensional sculptural pieces are embedded with a delicate sense of ethereal melancholy as if mourning for the end of a life lived and for the pain imbuing the one to come.

Hwang’s new artworks created site-specifically for the Evanescence and Regeneration exhibition at Leila Heller Gallery– represent yet another step into an abstract vocabulary in radiant images of impermanent evanescent blooming forms. As seen in her series titled Becoming Again, in which branches of yellowish, rose and white plum blossoms flourish in snake-like constellations against a deep-blue sky, tangled together with cobweb-like boughs – all recurring symbols for the incessant ephemeral and fragility of life and nature – Hwang, carefully perfects with eloquent mastery, the unique embodiment of her well-known iconography into a static background of transparent Plexiglas.                                      

Similarly, in her maximalist work titled Healing Oblivious Aqua_OS, Hwang reformulates the silver-coloured wooden panel – in which her overflowing floret clusters, organically spring – into an immense two-dimensional ellipsoid shape, symbolizing the imminent transitory of natural forms. At the same time through her expression, she comments on the constant eternal cosmic regeneration of the Earth’s biosphere, despite the fleeting nature of phenomenal life. Her delicate blossoms with their colorful petals, appear to flow into a liquid phantasmagoria of becoming. Hwang’s Hanji paper and button-made florets appear to effortlessly meander through the dark branches into blooming bracelets of iridescent stars against the silver firmament.          

But Hwang’s artistic ingenuity stands out in her two small tondos, aptly titled Beyond Serenity. Poetically transforming with a totally new approach, a similar concept as her work Ode to the Full Moon, in which, the bright moon disc appears in fiery colors, beautifully interwoven with blossoms. The lunar disk is traditionally a beloved motif of earthly ephemerality and waning change in Korean art. However, in Beyond Serenity, Hwang reverses its customary meaning revealing like a Zen poem, the hidden and metaphysical connectivity beneath all of life’s phenomena and their apparent change through a conceptual paradox. The spherical geometrical shape of the full-moon now becomes a mystical symbol, not as symbol of constant impermanence, but of a fixed serenity; a static tranquility, into which all worldly change is melded into an abstract oneness, despite the ever-changing becoming of life and nature. In this way, the two monochromatic pieces delve into the transcendent realms of non-objectivity. The individual floral figures, which once engulfed the moon’s surface have dissolved now into a primordial womb, into a regenerating eternal One, in which fading and becoming has totally ceased. Something, that is reinforced by their crushing red or pink monochrome.

Hwang’s thematic choice of terrestrial transience comes to grips with the current exhibition of the Japanese artist Kenta Anzai, titled Impermanence at New York’s Guild Gallery. Although both artists address themes of ephemerality, their artistic methods diverge significantly. Anzai’s abstract yet dispiriting objects –a silent plethora of black vessels, primarily made of earthenware and urushi-tree lacquer, like the aesthetic tradition of wabi-sabi – constitute a material embodiment of the brief beauty of nature, adhering thus to a minimalist abstract approach of emptiness. His hollow pottery of organic shapes reflects though raw simplicity, and monochrome materiality, feelings of corrosion, exploiting vacancy or emptiness as artistic elements to formally render the fleeting experience of time’s endless passage.

In contrast, Hwang’s installations tackle the metaphysical problem of impermanence, not only through ascetic minimalism but via an electrifying maximalism of regenerating form and vivacious colors. Flowers, cobwebs, branches and falling stars symbolize eternal change. Nature constantly regenerates new ephemeral forms that live until their eventual passing, repeating thus a never-ending cycle of generation, degeneration, regeneration. Firmly standing on middle ground between sensuous representation and Anzai’s negating abstraction, Hwang blithely confronts the irreversible flowing of time, not with an abstract rendering of the void, but with a poetic iconography of rejuvenating nature.

The Evanescence and Regeneration exhibition offers a riveting encounter with the experience of transience and rebirth. Hwang creates a material and spiritual dialectic, through her ethereal works in unconventional media, highlighting the beauty of fragility and the circularity of time. Her monumental floral imagery stabilizes a fugitive glimpse of incessant flux and temporality into biomorphic figures. But simultaneously, it transforms the vast openness of infinity into the frailest of phenomena, merely a blossom’s petal. In a way, Hwang successfully undertakes to poetically inject the eternal now of Pascal, into the brief temporality of the moment.

by Lorien Suarez-Kanerva

The Tijuana International Triennial, which opened in July 2024 and runs through February 2025, offers a compelling exploration of contemporary themes like corporeality, identity, and land. Curated by the renowned Brazilian professor Leonor Amarant, this year’s edition brings together a diverse range of international artists, including Miami-based Venezuelan artist Rafael Montilla. A returning participant, Montilla, previously exhibited Big Bang Mirror, a thought-provoking installation that challenged notions of time and space, in 2021. This year, he presents Door to the Universe, a sculpture that deepens his exploration of conceptual and spatial relationships.

Montilla’s work spans photography, sculpture, and performance, with his iconic Kube Man persona receiving particular acclaim. Having performed at prestigious venues such as the Venezuelan, German, and French pavilions at the Venice Biennale, Montilla’s work delves into the interplay of identity, perception, and public engagement.

At the heart of Montilla’s practice is the cube, a recurring motif throughout his work. Whether it appears as a hollow geometric form or a mirrored object, the cube becomes a tool for exploring identity. In performances like Kube Man, Montilla dons a cube-shaped mirrored helmet, erasing his face and replacing it with the reflections of his environment. This act invites the viewer to see themselves in his place, transforming their role from passive observer to active participant.

Montilla’s performances align with Nicolas Bourriaud’s theory of “relational aesthetics,” a concept in contemporary art where meaning in art arises from social interactions. Rather than presenting a fixed narrative, Kube Man creates spaces of spontaneous engagement, encouraging collective meaning-making and dissolving the boundaries between artist, artwork, and audience. This approach is central to Montilla’s artistic philosophy.

This interactive dynamic mirrors the democratic ideals outlined in the Declaration of Independence, an essential inspiration for Montilla’s Kube Man, We Are One performance. As Montilla reflects:

“Kube Man, We Are One draws inspiration from the phrase ‘All men are created equal,’ penned by Thomas Jefferson in 1776. The work uses the figure of Kube Man to symbolize the transcendence of individual differences and our deep connection as human beings. When they see me, the viewer sees themselves, recognizing that we are all part of a collective experience. In a world fragmented by divisions, this performance seeks to create a space of unity, reminding us that we all share the same essence and rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

In addition to his performances, Montilla’s sculptural works also challenge perception and spatial expectations. His Golden Cube sculpture at Florida International University’s North Campus presents a striking interplay of gravity and balance. The cube positioned precariously in one corner defies expectations of stability, creating a visual tension that draws attention to the relationship between form and space. Montilla destabilizes the viewer’s perception through this precarious balance, making the impossible seem possible.

In his latest work, Door to the Universe, Montilla slices a cube with five horizontal bands, creating a compelling visual interplay between exterior form and interior void. The cobalt blue exterior world contrasts with the yellow interior introspective sphere, while a suspended mirror invites contemplation of the void within. Montilla’s use of negative space evokes the minimalist tradition of Donald Judd, yet the work carries symbolic meaning beyond its formal properties.

Montilla draws inspiration from Venezuelan artist Jesús Rafael Soto, whose work with geometry and abstraction has been a significant influence:

“Soto used geometry and abstraction to create a dynamic visual language. His pursuit of order and harmony through form and color has deeply influenced my work. Like Soto, I use geometric shapes, such as the cube, to represent ideas of unity, interconnectedness, and balance.”

For Montilla, the void is not simply an absence but a space of positive potential. Influenced by his decade-long stay in India and meditation practice, Montilla sees the void as a state of heightened consciousness—an openness that transcends thought and perception. This philosophical approach informs much of his sculptural work, where empty space symbolizes possibility and transformation.

His interest in spatial harmony and integration also aligns with the work of Venezuelan sculptor Alejandro Otero. Montilla describes Otero’s influence on his approach to art and environment:

“Otero conceived his sculptures as elements that engage in dialogue with their environment. He sought a harmonious integration between artwork and landscape, creating an aesthetic experience that involves both the viewer and public space. This vision has deeply influenced my interventions in urban spaces, such as in the Big Bang Mirror series, where mirrors transform the surrounding reality.”

Montilla’s connection to iconic Venezuelan artists of the 20th Century and their broader artistic tradition situates his work amongst his art contemporaries, focusing new investigations into the meaning and relevance of art today.

Through geometric explorations and spiritual influences, Montilla’s works invite viewers to reflect on more profound metaphysical questions concerning reality, consciousness, and the universe. He encapsulates this philosophical inquiry in his reflections on Big Bang Mirror:

“My work challenges notions of time, space, and truth, fragmenting and recomposing the viewer’s image in a play of reflections. Big Bang Mirror calls for introspection, encouraging us to explore our origins and embrace our interconnectedness with the cosmos.”

In Door to the Universe and throughout his broader artistic practice, Rafael Montilla transforms emptiness into a potent metaphor for potentiality, urging viewers to move beyond the material realm and into metaphysical contemplation. His works evoke a sense of enlightenment and transformation, drawing on the mystic and philosophical reflections of thinkers like George Gurdjieff and Sri Aurobindo. Their explorations of consciousness, the divine, and spiritual evolution have influenced Montilla’s vision, motivating him to create art beyond aesthetics. His pieces encourage a reflexive journey for the viewer, where the moment of self-recognition before the mirror invites a deeper exploration of self-knowledge, shared humanity, and the complex interplay between our internal experiences and external realities. Through this profound interaction, Montilla’s work becomes a catalyst for personal and collective insight, offering a space where art and spiritual inquiry converge.

by Steve Rockwell

From the outset, by titling their exhibition “At Face Value,” the curators Robert Curcio and Leah Oates put into play a dynamic tension between appearance and subtext, the spoken message and the unsaid meaning of what is presented. Amy Hill evokes the ghost of a 500 year-old porcelain complexioned Ginerva de Benci, a Florentine painted by a youthful Leonardo da Vinci. Her own treatment of it might be of a museum-attending New Yorker with political views who is into Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. 

Hill’s work contrasts the Andrew Owen AO1 hybrid portrait of model Winnie Harlow. Its digitally-generated spokes of eight images funnel to the singularity of a kaleidoscope of sex, gender, and ethnicity. As an artificially-generated construct transcribed from real life, it hints at the trans and post-human, but is a beauty in its own right, nevertheless.

The digital “Twins” photo of Arlene Rush commemorates a turn in the genetic transit of boy, girl, and parent as eerie cloning from a single egg into identical parts. The articulation of sexual distinction is achieved through the tailoring of clothing to shape anatomy. Hand-holding siblings raise their free hands in a kind of benediction to a possible new birth, the bannister before them suggestive of a crib. The fingers of the hand of the sister overlays the image of the mother bride on the wall behind them as a confirming gesture of attribution. The expressed moment is at once, intimate, lovely, and touching.

Chambliss Giobbi places the viewer on their back looking up, as if waking from a film noir delirium. The ceiling fixture behind the shoulder of the besuited man serves a hypnotic eye in the sky probe to signal the continuation of an interrogation or treatment. Where it lands is unclear. Giobbi’s melted Crayola technique captures an aura of Lucien Freud psychological disquiet. As a “votive” artist homage to the real thing, it tucks nicely under your pillow.

In her own words, Claudine Anrather inhabits “an unsteady world, figures freed from time and space,” a Jungian netherworld where  the animus and anima, the masculine and feminine sides of the personal psyche play out their dialectics. Since her subjects here have since given up their ghosts, her portraits of black trans women achieve a rebirth through a channeling of their archetype. Anrather’s painted effigies waft into a visible present from the immaterial timeless.

The intimate self-portraits of Dana Nehdaran transcend mechanically-transcribed visual journals, these being just one of several series that adhere to themes consistent with “At Face Value.” The tension between past, present and future against concealment and revelation play out in the multi-layered play of impasto brush stroke, color, canvas texture, and frames within frames.

D. Dominick Lombardi “self-portraits” at ages 17, 35, and a future 95 echo Oscar Wilde’s “Portrait of Dorian Gray.” Since drawings and paintings are time stamps, his portrait at age 95 should keep the artist younger than his “portrait” for years to come. In the mean time, all three works are at liberty to display tumors and mutations at will. A connection might be made between Lombardi’s drawings and the work of Ivan Albright, which served as inspiration for the portrait in the Dorian Gray film.  

The link between abstract expressionism and the cartoon is energy. Marcy Brafman effectively harnesses the latent force of the animated character without its explicit imagery. In the process, her painted strokes effectively charge her open-ended narratives with wit and vigor. This play between presence and absence sets in motion a game of multi-layered readings. Mere suggestions of eye and mouth are sufficient to drive a story line.

For Shantel Miller, the oil medium has opened up formal creative possibilities to the black experience. The figure on their back on a bed with raised arms displays a complex combination of vulnerability, resignation, rest, and revery. The frame of the room, its bed, and of course the painting itself projected as four floating representations on the wall create a sense of the dreamy meditative with “eyes wide shut.” 

The three characters that Noah Becker introduces in his “Three Figures” (2023) painting cannot be ignored. That they are unsmiling, is not the issue. Like insistent strangers on a doorstep, they will not go away until their “demands” are satisfied. Each subject in a Becker painting tend to be locked within its edges, figures sealed against their ground. We look, negotiate, and contemplate the hats, beards, and suits from a culture out of time.

Painted elements floating across the white of the Pierre St. Jacques paper work spin in space from the “big bang” of its creation. Three male characters seem to be residual burns from an old black and white photo. The viewer is tasked with repeated playback possibilities to solve the cause of the explosion. It seems that someone had absent-mindedly pressed the UP elevator button before all hell broke loose.

Ruben Natal-San Miguel tracks the aesthetic impulse in the corners and creases of culture. One such fleeting event was captured at a table in Crotona Park in the Bronx, where Jennifer had casually stopped for her “Beauty Make Up Check.” As such, it’s a collaboration and celebration of one of life’s unguarded moments out of which any community is necessarily comprised.

By overlaying classic art of the past with tropes of tagging, graffiti and tattoo, Sam Jackson manages to blend various aesthetic disciplines. Fragmented text fuses personal and societal motifs with a collective sensibility, bringing to life the “dead” art of the past. It’s a trope not different in kind to Amy Hill and her “Woman in Orange Denim Jacket.” 

At Face Value: Curated by Robert Curcio and Leah Oates. Saturday, July 5 –27, 2024 @ Station Independent Projects , 220 Geary Avenue, Suite #2B, Toronto, Ontario, Canada http://www.curcioprojects.com/home.html http://www.stationindependent.com