Ateliers 89 usually conducts courses, at the end of which the students, most of them hobbyists, some also artists, present their final work at an art show, attended by family members and art lovers.
This time, Atelier, founder and curator Elvis Lopez, asked fifteen accomplished artists to comment on the Gender term, in what he called A song of Protest for Equal Rights.
The island’s government has been procrastination on a proposed amendment ushering in same sex marriage, and while it is only a question of time, when the amendment is introduced, the artist community is impatient, and organized a contemporary art show, with their commentary on the subject, open at Atelier 89 until November 30th, visit any day in the afternoon, www.ateliers89.aw.
Ateliers 89 is located in Dominicanessenstraat, Oranjestad.
One of my friends told me that the best way to talk about Gender is the following: Whatever is in your head, the way you think about yourself, that is Gender, and anything in your shorts, may be filed under Sex. Which is a good way of thinking about the subject.
Works in the show:
Reveal by Sharelly Emanuelson; Silhouettes by Raily Yance; Ethereal and Pudenda by Velvet Zoe Ramos; Beyond Anatomic Totems, by Aldrich Kelly; Portals of Fortune by Elvis Lopez; Free Your Mind by Zelda Curiel; Re(son) Ansia by Adriano Nanof; Creator of All, by Suzzane van Spall; Chronicles of a Struggle by Danilo Geerman; Give Me My Flowers When I’m Aliva, by Romelinda Maldonado; Detached by Fernando Vermeer; Tropical Pride by Bodhi Bodhisatva; Intersecting Perception, by Egmar Irausquin and My Identity Gender, by Nohemy Habibe.
The opening on August 6th’ was well attended, thank you sponsors for all you do: Mondriaan Fonds, UNOCA, Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds Caribish Gebied, Compra N.V., La Cabana Beach Resort & Casino and Vibration PR, SETAR, Garage Centraal and Fernando Vermeer, Checkpoint Color .
Some memorable statements: Sharelly Emanuslson created a gender reveal party with balloons and streamers, in purple, a binary color, not specific to boys or girls. The installation was embellished by “A Child is A Child,” cards dangling from the balloon canopy. The artist, from Curacao, was a special guest of the event.
Give Me My Flowers When I Am Alive: Romelinda Maldonado is a fun yet deep artist with a great imagination, she created a large floral installation, threatened my crocodiles. She labeled the beasts Society, Evil, Tradition, etc. Romelinda doesn’t want to be eulogized lovingly when gone, she wants her flowers, her compliments, and full emotional support, here and now.
Two artists created white environments, completely neutral, genderless, devoid of designation, they were Chronicles of a Struggle, By Danilo Geermen and Re(son) Ansia by Adriano Nanof.
Creator of All: Suzzane Van Spall’s monumental installation depicted a powerful rag and driftwood goddess, hiding sexless children in the folds of her flowing coat, surrounded by ocean debris, corals, sponges and drift plastic. It is a very striking piece of art. And worth visiting.
Intersecting Perception: Egmar Irausquin video installation is very thought provoking, I found it hard to listen to the make-no-sense, of the other side.
