The Poetics of Relation

“…While Glissant’s writings on opacity and relation are presented specifically as it pertains to post-colonial conditions in Martinique, these ideas have been applied to contemporary art theory and practices, as well. Most notably, curator Okwui Enwezor’s writings on the globalization of contemporary art consider the imposition of Western-based hierarchies and homogenization as referenced by Glissant. Enwezor explores the complexities of globalization in contemporary art and highlights the need for the creolization of cultures. In an essay entitled “The Post-Colonial Constellation: Contemporary Art in a State of Permanent Transition,” Enwezor reiterates the importance of “post-colonial history and theory for accurate understanding of the social and cultural temporality of late modernity.” He goes on to state: “If I recommended the post-colonial paradigm for illuminating our reading of the fraught historical context from which that discourse of Modernism and contemporary art emerged, it is only to aim toward a maturity of the understanding of what art history and its supplementary practices can contribute today toward our knowledge of art.” In other words, it is imperative that cross-cultural influences, within contemporary art practice, are not only recognized, but celebrated—for it is our differences that contribute to a more cohesive image of Modernity and contemporary art at large. The artists featured in this exhibition uniquely approach their difference. They transform notions of domesticity and intimacy. By combining elements of kitsch with “high art,” public and private spaces, the artists simultaneously upend contrived ideas of wealth, labor, class and access. Likewise, the artists’ works recontextualize relationship dynamics, challenging self and societally-imposed boundaries. Through their multi-layered practices, each artist embraces, activates, and utilizes their specific contribution to contemporary art practice, positioning it against the often lauded “cishet,” or the white and male contemporary Art World, as the sole and dominant narrative. In this act of defiance, they demand to be counted and included, while not requesting to be understood, but rather considered.”

-Sheridan Tucker Anderson