EL MUSEO’S BIENAL: THE (S) FILES

EL MUSEO’S BIENAL: THE (S) FILES, already opened runs through January 6, 2008. Exhibition celebrating the experimental, immediate pulse of contemporary art. “The (S) Files” are literally “the selected files” of 51 artists. Nov. 28 Panel discussion: with gallerists and Latino artists. El Museo del Barrio, 1230 5th Ave. www.elmuseo.org

Many of the works on display have been chosen from the unsolicited submissions to El Museo’s Artists’ Archive over the past two years. This selection is the most expansive to date, with 51 artists showcasing work in traditional mediums such as drawing, painting and photography, as well as more experimental projects incorporating light, sound, and interactive elements, mobile sculptures and site-specific installations.

The exhibition has been curated by Elvis Fuentes, Associate Curator, El Museo del Barrio, and E. Carmen Ramos, Assistant Curator for Cultural Engagement, The Newark Museum, NJ. In addition, guest curator Rodolfo Kronfle Chambers (independent curator, Guayaquil , Ecuador ), has included in the exhibition a selection of works by five artists from Ecuador , this year’s invited guest country.

Even among the diversity within the works presented in El Museo’s Bienal: The (S) Files 007, the curators recognize several recurrent themes that have emerged organically within the exhibition. Some of the artists reference the hyper-reality of contemporary culture of violence and war, often in relation to social perceptions of masculinity. Others explore the public dimension of art and examine issues of labor, immigration, language and identity, frequently documenting the artist’s experience or citing art historical traditions. Resounding another global concern, many of the artists approach the environment and the natural world through landscapes real or imaginary, most especially evident in the selection of work from the five artists from Ecuador.