Here, there, and the in-between

The exhibition here, there, and the in-between , now on view at the College of Fine Arts Downtown Studio  proposes interactions between human society, politics, and the natural world as sites that reveal unjust structures of power. The artworks by Patricia Domínguez (Santiago, Chile), Michael Barraco (Brooklyn, USA), and Elena Bellantoni (Rome, Italy, take visually complex approaches to contemplate how the implications of these structures govern our everyday experience, provoking questions beyond the art realm.

here, there and the in-between will be accompanied by a panel discussion on January 18 at 6:30 pm with the art critic Lucy Lippard, art historian and decolonial theorist Kency Cornejo, artist and environmental humanities scholar Subhankar Banerjee and the gallerist Nancy Zastudil as moderator. We are thrilled to present such outstanding scholars in the field to discuss the exhibition and the issues it addresses.

Elena Bellantoni (b. 1975, Italy), based in Rome, works in video art, and examines structures of power through the use of language, site, and interpersonal relationships. Her work tends to be allegorical, revealing how our society uses sciences such as biology to create hierarchies of power, but also how literary tales about animals allow for subversion and resistance.

Michael Barraco (b. 1986, New York) works in photography and sculpture, considering the interstices between human society and the natural world through his fascination with birds. Creating a collective digital archive of birds, his work addresses the viewer directly and prompts them to consider their potential involvement in the problems of habitat loss and climate change.

Patricia Domínguez (b. 1984, Santiago Chile) works in installation and video art, examining present day manifestations of coloniality through plants, animals, contemporary technology, and pop culture. Her installations have a minimal yet playful aesthetic, often using humor and the absurd to comment on problems such as environmental damage, species loss, violence, and primitivist stereotypes of Latin America. Having already gained considerable attention in Latin America, Domínguez’s creative approach to the themes of coloniality shows the growing interest in the contemporary art world to confront these critical questions.