Brooklyn Commons, a new discussion series beginning this fall at ISCP, presents intellectual and artistic pairings between the established Brooklyn-based artist community and ISCP residents. This series puts artists in conversation who have not shared a dialogue in the past and focuses on the vibrant and diverse cultural practitioners living and working in Brooklyn, both long-term and short-term.
Martha Rosler and Michael Arcega will discuss the role of commerce, performance, exchange of ideas, and narrative. Rosler’s work has dealt with issues of class, gender, culture, and politics in everyday life through photographic images, video, performance, and critical writing. In November, Rosler will present Meta-Monumental Garage Sale at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), which showcases a massive, crowd-sourced garage sale where the artist will be present to negotiate prices.
Arcega’s recent project, Montalvo Historical Fabrication & Souvenirs – produced in collaboration with Stephanie Syjuco, utilized a souvenir shop to re-examine issues of commerce, empire, and the repackaging of historical narrative. Arcega is interested in how objects can be metaphors for national identities and how one can investigate socio-political circumstances where power relations are unbalanced from the perspective of a naturalized American.
Martha Rosler has for many years produced works on war and the “national security climate.” Her photomontage series House Beautiful: Bringing the War Home, originally made as a response to the Vietnam War, was reinstituted in 2004 and again in 2008. Rosler has had numerous solo exhibitions and participated in many group exhibitions nationally and internationally. In November, MoMA will present her performance and installation Meta-Monumental Garage Sale, an event she has held in many art venues.
Michael Arcega is an interdisciplinary artist based in San Francisco. He works primarily in sculpture and installation. Arcega holds a BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute and an MFA from Stanford University. His work has been exhibited at the deYoung Museum, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego, the Orange County Museum of Art, The Contemporary Museum in Honolulu, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. He was recently awarded a 2012 Guggenheim Fellowship in Fine Arts.
Brooklyn Commons is organized by Kari Conte, ISCP Director of Programs and Exhibitions.
