The Nexus Between Latin America and the Rest of the World
The experiences of five Argentinian artists in South Florida are not unlike those of the many immigrants who arrive in the United States from all over the world and are not only forced to adjust to a new cultural environment, but to confront the loss of their own homeland in the process. This project is based on the artistic reflections of Karina Chechik, Carolina Sardi, Daniel Fiorda, Pablo Contrisciani, and Luciana Abait, artists with studios at the South Florida Art Center who share thei feelings about arriving in South Florida and departing from Argentina in a remarkable collaborative installation. It is an artists' perspective on the often-told theme of the voyage, and it is the voyage that unites this disparate group of styles, techniques, media and ideas into a travel package to which everyone can relate at some point in life.
The theme of the voyage, of travel from one place to another, may involve various levels of experience and may relate to journeys of the mind, of exile, of pleasure, of adventure, etc. For artists in South Florida, one of the fastest growing immigrant areas in the world, there is an exciting and cosmopolitan art community and spectacular natural environment that encourages new models of representation and inspire new ideas for the production of art. One embarks upon a journey with a certain sense of apprehension and excitement. There are many reasons for departure and a multitude of emotions to accompany its every step. To depart is to leave, to go away, to make the decision (willingly or not) to forsake something and make a change. Arrival at a new location precipitates change and there is always a sense of loss for those friends, familiy and things left behind. One can never leave identity, memories, history, or life's experiences entirely behind. These five artists have faced the challenge of departure by creating works of art that may be seen as their entree into the world of the future, their arrival. From this theoretical framework of arrival/departure, evolved a project that is complete as an installation, while never overshadowing the unique creativity of each participant and their own personal motivations for departure and artistic production.
Their reasons for departues are distinct, and they never knew one another before their arrival in Miami, but they share the experience of the journey, of their Argentine heritage, and their professions as artists. Each has aspirations to succeed in their new environment and to manifest an identity in visual expressions that incorporates elements unique to their own experiences. . . .
. . . The brash Pop Art colors of Pablo Contrisciani's large mixed media canvases are meant to duplicate the feelings of tension in the gallery that are similar to those felt upon embarkation and arrival. Boldly drawn airplanes and tropical motifs are painted in the shocking contrasts of bright Florida colors to evoke the sense of excitement and anticipation that accompanies all journeys, but have their own special description in South Florida. . . .