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Rafael Ferrer, The Balata River: “In the mountains, there you feel free” (El Rio Balatá: "En las montañas te sientes libre"). Nancy Sayles Day Collection of Modern Latin American Art

Island Nations

New Art from Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico
October 29, 2004 - January 20, 2005
Rafael Ferrer, The Balata River: “In the mountains, there you feel free” (El Rio Balatá: "En las montañas te sientes libre"). Nancy Sayles Day Collection of Modern Latin American Art

Introduction

The rich ties that bind Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico are as complex as the stark differences between their respective societies. Foreigners, however, still tend to think of the Caribbean in terms of a secluded tropical paradise. To defy this overly simplified view, many works featured in the exhibition contrast the islands' stunning natural beauty with their often difficult economic and political situations. Others take on the theme of isolation either by underscoring the greater connectedness of this age of global communication or by pointing out its political rather than geographic causes. A third, related issue involves those who move between several nations and the complicated relationships between those who have emigrated and those who have stayed in their country of origin.The influence of these island nations continues to spread far beyond their borders. Rather than representing the region in its entirety, this exhibition offers personal reflections that may be seen, heard, and felt.

Architecture/Dreams/Memory

Architecture exerts a strong but largely subconscious influence on our perceptions and emotions. The artists featured in this gallery explore the intimate relationships between an individual's memories and his/her built surroundings, as well as the ways in which architectural environments may reflect or express our collective dreams and visions for society. La arquitectura expresa una influencia grande pero subconsciente sobre todo loque percibimos y sentimos. Los artistas incluidos en esta galería exploran lasrelaciones íntimas entre nuestras memorias individuales y el ambiente construida que nos rodea, así como la forma en que los ambientes arquitectónicos pueden reflejar o expresarsueños y visiones colectivas para la sociedad.

Judith Tannenbaum, René Morales

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Island Nations: New Art From Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and the Diaspora

In the 1960s, the Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design (The RISD Museum), established an early and deep connection with the art of Latin America. In a sweeping attempt to create a broader context for our strong North American collections, money and energy were committed to the purchase of the work of contemporary artists from all over South and Central America and the Caribbean.

Selected Objects

No Image Available

Raquel Paiewonsky

Parida (Birthed)

Allora & Calzadilla

Land Mark (Foot Prints)

Abel Oliva

Vaya Pomodito China $10.00 C/U

Marta Maria Perez Bravo

Para la entrega [For the Offering]

Ana Mendieta

Furrows

Abel Oliva

La Musica del Mement $2.00 c/u

Abel Oliva

Aporato de Hacer Disco $2500 c/u

Abelardo Morell

Camera Obscura Image of Havana Looking Southeast in Room with Ladder
  • More objects +

Exhibition Checklist

Island Nations : New Art from Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico

October 29, 2004 - January 20, 2005
View Checklist pdf
View Checklist pdf
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