For most immigrants, home is a physical and symbolic space that is often left behind in their individual and sometimes collective search for a better life. Within this context, a group of artists and designers were invited by exhibition curator, Dominique Denis, to explore the complexity of the immigrant experience.
Visitors enter the exhibition through a space reminiscent of the traditional corner store, or bodega, where the transactional nature of these places is reimagined. Instead of common goods and knickknacks, fragments of the immigrant's journey are on display. To many, these storefronts represent a first step into another culture, often shaping the narratives associated with immigrant communities. The journey continues through the "back store" where selected artists and designers explore their own personal narratives through the creation of individual works of art and design conceptualized around themes of nostalgia, identity, transformation, and belonging.
Storefront Identity - Fragmented Narratives introduces viewers to a world constantly in flux between past and present, nostalgia and disenchantment, and foreign and American identities. The exhibition invites visitors to travel in and out of different realities, exploring the richness and diversity of the immigrant experience, while reflecting on a multi-layered understanding of each artist's singular journey.
On view in the FAR Gallery April 14 - Extended June 3, 2022
Private Reception Thursday, April 14, 6 - 8 pm
Public Reception Saturday, April 30, 6 - 10 pm
Artist Talk, Friday, May 7, 7 - 8:30 pm
Closing Reception, Friday, June 3, 6 - 8 pm
Artist Bios
You are invited to contribute to our online participatory installation, Wall of Memories, 2022, by uploading the image of an item with sentimental value that you have kept with you throughout the years. This piece of memorabilia should represent your connection to the people, places and things that have shaped your personal narrative. Wall of Memories is an intrinsic part of the exhibition Storefront Identity – Fragmented Narratives and will continue to have an online presence beyond the exhibition closing date.