3 Shows at Hardcore Art Contemporary

Andres Michelena, Guerra de la Paz. Sylvia Riquezes.HACS presents three solo shows by artists Andres Michelena, Guerra De La Paz and Sylvia Riquezes. The artists are differentiated by their specific proposals but correlate on their political and ideological sub textual statements.The three of them point out critical issues on cultural politics, and set a constellation of query and interrogations on their matters. Andres Michelena’s proposes ‘Gods Without Religion’, a keen revision of cultural and social relationships between Men and Religion. The artist approaches religious iconography with parody. The pieces in the show focus on Buddhist icons set as commodities. In a-sort-of marketing environment, the installations hang out from the ceiling or are aligned in the walls. They are displayed as provocative “merchandise”. With a linguistic twist, the works’ titles, -‘Gods to Go’, ‘I-Gods’-, emphasize the marketing spirit of the show. Michelena depicts a radical view of the materialistic approach contemporary man has towards religion, and at the same time the artist confronts himself to his own spiritual Buddhist experience. Guerra De La Paz (Alain Guerra and Neraldo De La Paz) is a collaboration artistic duo. Their show, ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’-, reflect on the dimensions of desire. Their photographs are produced throughout a choreographic “montage”of male action figures in sexual intercourse or exposing their genitals. These characters are set as heroes of an imaginary sexual quest or as performers of an Erotic Epic. Even though these male figures deeply engage in sexual relationships they do not seem vulgar. They interplay a double act. One, which is metaphoric, neatly expresses the logic of the sexual act and its provocative and extreme meaning. Furthermore, the sexual act is just a simulacrum, a sexual reenactment of toys, which is an analogy. The iconography in ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ is disturbingly invasive. The show proposes candid photographs of transgender characters; they are in the role of queer dolls disrupting their status quo; iconic imagery of outsiders that reveal the dark side or the ‘hard side’ of male eroticism. Sylvia Riquezes’s site-specific installation, -The Cage-, sets out in the outside corridor of the gallery. It consists in a cage made out of chicken wire, wire mesh, PVC balls, and vinyl circles. The piece functions as a trap, and it induces the viewer into a kind of anthological journey. The spectator walks through this wire-made cage as stepping into a prison. The narrow hallway seems to be an asphyxiating tunnel where the viewer confronts himself or herself to ontological emotions and lifetime states. Linguistic shocks from peculiar words are written on the wall or on the floor to provoke inquiry and examination. The sense of it is to set out for a spiritual quest. 3 Shows is on view at Hardcore Art Contemporary Art Space from May 3rd through June 26th, 2006. By Milagros Bello, Ph.D Curator For more information, please call: 305.576.1645