Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Art Gallery at the College of the Holy Cross will present the work of ten Latin American artists in the exhibition “Last Frontier: The Subjectivity of Territory” from Wednesday, January 25 through Friday, April 14. An opening lecture by participating artist Gabriela Munguía will take place on January 25, 4–5 p.m. in Stein Hall, room 120, followed by an opening reception from 5:15–6:30 p.m. in the gallery.
The exhibition, curated by V. Nicolás Koralsky, the director for the College’s study abroad program in Buenos Aires, features photography, sculptures, and video from an original concept by artist collective Arte Bajo Cero, made up of Chilean artists Julio Gaete Ardiles and Sebastian Trujillo, with research by Isabel Salazar Bravo. The exhibit was originally on view from June 3, 2015 to August 16, 2015 at the Espacio de Arte Contemporáneo (Contemporary Art Space), an institution that promotes local and international art in Montevideo, Uruguay.
Koralsky organized the exhibition and collaborated with the members of the College’s Spanish department, including Daniel Frost, associate professor and chair of the Spanish department and Bridget Franco, assistant professor of Spanish, as well as Roger Hankins, director of the Cantor Art Gallery, to bring “Last Frontier” to campus. Holy Cross students who studied abroad in Argentina interviewed the artists and translated didactic materials to put together a catalogue, which will be published to accompany the exhibition. There was an intentional effort to bring together a diverse group of artists from Latin America with varying artistic practices to give voice to a range of ideas and viewpoints, Koralsky said, and to establish an exchange that would transcend borders.
The work represented in “Last Frontier” explores the concept of borders as a dividing line between states; the reality of lived experience versus what is portrayed in the media; the dissolution of borders through globalization; borders as an experience of “us” versus “them;” and the blurring lines between virtual and natural spaces.
“The work attempts to reflect upon the subjectivity of territory — whether as a person, place, or state,” explains Roger Hankins, director of the Cantor Art Gallery, and “seeks to challenge our preconceived notions about what is known.”
During the course of the exhibition, Arte Bajo Cero will direct a site-specific interpretation of their work “Línea Discontinua.” The thought-provoking work — an actual physical demarcation line that will be laid down on campus by Holy Cross students using rectangular shapes — is meant to call into question the function and meaning of borders, who the outcast is, and what territory is being protected.
Later in the semester, Koralsky will travel from Argentina to Holy Cross to give a lecture on Wednesday, March 15, 4–5 p.m., in Stein Hall, room 120. Other lectures and special events are being planned, and details will be listed as available on the Cantor Art Gallery’s website at www.holycross.edu/cantorartgallery.
The exhibition is co-sponsored by the Spanish department, with additional support from the study abroad office and Latin American & Latino Studies.
Events
Artist’s Lecture by Gabriela Munguía
Jan. 25, 4–5 P.M. | Stein Hall, Room 120
Gabriela Munguía is a graduate of the Master of Technology and Aesthetics of Electronic Arts from the National University of Tres de Febrero, Argentina. Her explorations and artistic production are focused on the fields of electronic art, robotic art, bio-art and interspecies communication. Presently living in Buenos Aires, she is an associate professor at Maimonides University and professor at the MAE, UNTREF. She also works in the production and management of cultural and art projects, exhibitions and workshops of art and new media.
Opening Reception
Jan. 26, 5:15–6:30 P.M. | Cantor Art Gallery, O’Kane Hall
Curator’s Talk by V. Nicolás Koralsky
March 15, 4–5 P.M. | Stein Hall, Room 120
V. Nicolás Koralsky, curator of the exhibition, teaches in the School of Psychology at the Universidad de Buenos Aires (University of Buenos Aires), and is the director of the College’s study abroad program in Buenos Aires. He holds a Master's Degree in Communication and Cultural Creation from the Universidad del CAECE, an international postgraduate degree in Management and Politics in Culture and Communication from the Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (Latin American School of Social Sciences), Buenos Aires, Argentina, and a Diploma in Curating Contemporary Art from the Node Center for Curatorial Studies.
Lecture by Lisa Crossman, Fitchburg Art Museum
March 1, 4:30–5:30 P.M. | Stein Hall, Room 133
Lisa Crossman received her undergraduate degree from Northern Arizona University, an MA in art history and Ph.D. in art history and Latin American Studies from Tulane University. She is currently serving as the interim curator at the Fitchburg Art Museum.
Gallery Information
Founded in 1983 through the generosity of Iris & B. Gerald Cantor, the Cantor Art Gallery serves both as a venue for a changing series of historical and contemporary public exhibitions, as well as a vital resource for Holy Cross faculty and students, linking exhibitions to the broader liberal arts curriculum.
The hours for the Cantor Art Gallery are Monday – Friday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. and Saturdays noon–5 p.m. and it is located in O’Kane Hall, 1st floor, College of the Holy Cross, 1 College Street, Worcester, Mass., 01610. Visitors needing assistance with handicap accessibility should contact Public Safety at 508-793-2011. Admission to the gallery is free.
For additional information please call 508-793-3356 or visit the gallery’s website.
