“Hope Lies in the Smoldering,” curated by professor Alexandra Robinson, opened on Thursday, Sep. 4 and will run until Thursday, Sep. 25. Located in the Fine Arts Building, the exhibition is inspired by the poem “Lo fatal” by Rubén Darío.
The curator discovered the poem “Lo Fatal” in 2003, as an intern at the Chinati Foundation in Marfa, Texas, the poet and translator Stephen White, did a reading of the poem at an event in the Foundation. “I’ve been carrying this poem around since 2003, I keep it in my office,” Robinson said. When explaining her personal relationship with the poem, the professor explained, “You can think about the poem in a sad or depressing way, don’t. I like to think about it as a place to have a sense of hope.”
The Sculpture titled “The Weight of That Moment” by artist Veronica Ibargüengoitia captures a moment that is difficult to fully convey. “With this piece, I am careful not to single out any government, the process of deportation happens everywhere, and the issue of officers’ stamping is the same across the board,” Ibargüengoitia said. “You are completely at their mercy in that instant, that’s why I call it the weight of that moment. You face someone who doesn’t fully understand immigration law, yet holds the power to stamp your life forever.”
The painting titled “Kept” by the multimedia artist Jordan Alyse Hamilton explores questions about the perception of reality and animality. “I’ve been doing art for over 15 years, painting and experimenting, to this day I still struggle articulating where my art is coming from,” Hamilton said. “After emailing with Alex and reading the poem, I felt that it was so in line with what I am trying to articulate and have had a really hard time doing so, so I am grateful for her to see that in my artwork.”
Sculpture Piece “Of the World,” 2023. Close up detail of piece by artist Anthony Rundblade, work characterized by exploring the grotesque as a lens to examine contemporary cultural and social shifts. The piece is made with materials and textures such as concrete, chains, magnets, rubber spikes and a found image in the center of the artwork.
Artists highlighted in the exhibition Renee Lai, Jordan Alyse Hamiltom, Veronica Ibagüengoitia, Aldo Ramos, Anthony Rundblade and curator Alexandra Robinson.
