muse muse

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Exhibition: muse muse
Location: Czech Center New York
Dates: March 9 – April 6, 2018
Opening Reception: Friday, March 9, 7-10 PM

With an invited international group of curators, this show emphasizes the relationship between curator and artist— muse muse, a muse muse, muse amuse, muse muse muse—the alliteration itself is almost inspiring.

While the trope of the artist and muse evokes a dusty and nostalgic image of classical inspiration, as conveyed by an artist such as Jean-Léon Gérôme’s in his 1890 Pygmalion and Galatea, or in the idea of bohemian artists working all night high in a garret under the almost divine inspiration of genius and ego, this show refocuses the concept of muse to directly display the real, transformative, and raw link between curator and artist, between artist and curator. This is the essential relationship upon which this show revolves. It is almost a reflection, perhaps not clear, perhaps distorted, or enigmatic.

Why? Why?

We could contextualize this relationship in that of the rise of the edit, or the selection, as a mode that characterizes the late-twentieth or 21st century with digital technology, social media, yadda, yadda... yadda. But that seems a bit boring, and perhaps, even, blasé blasé.

Instead, we see this relationship—muse muse—as intimate, maybe not rational, maybe not distinct, or evident. But it is transformative, in both ways—curator, artist—artist, curator—and then it veers toward us, the viewer. It is an opening, a portal, a look into some private space upon which identities are built, and shared, problematized, or redefined. This is the Étant donnés of the muse muse. Its wings are the peep hole in the old wooden door, and what is beyond. It transcends what you see someone posted what they had for lunch.

As a part of the New Bohemia Exhibition Series initiated by Czech Center New York celebrating the 100 year Anniversary of the First Republic and the democratic ideals ushered in by Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, this show examines the transformation of identity and self against the background of post 1918 political and social change reflected in the shift initiated by the First Republic. Stressing the freedom of a multiplicity of voices and viewpoints, the inclusion of multiple curators mirrors a democratic vision centered around the theme of creating and celebrating new identities.

Curators:
Thomas Beachdel
Theophilos Constantinou
Antonia Marsh
India Salvor Menuez
Michal Nanoru
Lissa Rivera
Jo Rosenthal
Richie Shazam
David C. Terry
Marie Tomanova

Artists:
Aaron Young
Nemo Librizzi
Grace Ahlbom
Jahmal B Golden
Dušan Tománek
Naomi Okubo
VirtuosoVirtuoso zine: Medar de la Cruz, Kellian Delice, Emma Kohlmann, Mica Levine, Hayley Martell, Marian Martin, Ambar Navarro, Kat Rose, Emerson Rosenthal, Charlie Rubin, Leticia Sampedro, Shane Saunders, Andrea Sisson, Marie Tomanova, Amanda Wallace, Thomas Watkiss, Linda Yang, Yulia Zinshtein, Dale Zine
Theresa Chromati / Martine Gutierrez
Jaimie Warren
Pixy Liao

Czech Center New York / 321 E 73rd Street / New York, NY 10021