hormiga caribe
december 1 - december 10, 2023
7338 nw miami ct, miami fl
“Los Pueblos del Mar, se repiten incesantemente diferenciándose entre sí, viajando juntos hacia el infinito..” - Antonio Benítez-Rojo, La Isla que se Repite
Hormiga Caribe is a survey of contemporary Caribbean art where La Hormiga Caribe (Tropical Fire Ant) becomes a metaphorical guide through the intricacies of the region's constant and varied artistic evolutions. The complexities of this resilient animal serve as a point of departure for dissecting the multifaceted, dynamic, and at times chaotic nature of the region.
Why the fire ant? because of its humble yet astonishing strength – capable of lifting up to 50 times its own weight. Together, these modest creatures quietly face challenges with a subtle determination, showcasing a collective prowess to overcome. In Native American cultures, ants are seen as symbols of diligence, patience, and hard work…. And they cannot be domesticated…
Las Hormiga Caribe, with their collective strength and indomitable spirit, mirror the tenacity and innovative nature of Caribbean artists. They navigate complex ecosystems and adapt to ever-changing landscapes, offering an unexpected but powerful metaphor for the artists who challenge established norms and practices. La Hormiga Caribe’s collective consciousness is a reflection of the engrained sense of community that binds these artists together as they explore, redefine, and deepen the Caribbean's cultural influence, with a ripple effect felt worldwide. A sense of community so powerful that an assault on one Hormiga Caribe can elicit a forceful response from the entire colony.
Like the myriad colors and patterns that unfold in a kaleidoscope, Caribbean art is a vibrant, ever-evolving, woven artwork in-and-of itself, with influences from a multitude of cultures, histories, and lived experiences. Las Hormigas Caribe, in their relentless pursuit of survival, are a reflection of the Caribbean artist's spirit to persevere and redefine their artistic practices in a world marked by socio-cultural and historical complexities.
Caribbean artists are sometimes overlooked in the art world, at times seen as something niche or possibly invasive, like the Hormiga Caribe. Despite this perception, there is always a powerful force emanating from the Caribbean artistic community, excelling across multiple creative mediums. Being viewed as invasive does not faze us Caribeños, as we humbly continue on our missions indifferent to external critiques.
This exhibition celebrates the fiery determination of Caribbean artists who, like the Hormiga Caribe, adapt and thrive, no matter the adversity they face. Their art, diverse and dynamic, transcends boundaries and dares to challenge established curatorial norms. Just as las Hormiga Caribe create intricate networks of tunnels and chambers, artists from the Caribbean have forged connections and collaborations that challenge conventional wisdom, breaking down barriers in the art world and beyond.
Caribbean artists in this polyrhythmic mosaic of resilience are a testament to the vibrant and irrepressible spirit of the region and its artistic community.
-curated by homework
artists
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Patricia Encarnación
Patricia Encarnación (she/they) is an Afro-Dominican interdisciplinary artitvist and scholar. Her work explores Caribbean culture by challenging tropical aesthetics with an anti-colonial lens.
Encarnación participated in multiple residencies such as Smack Mellon as a Van Lier fellow, MuseumsQuartier Vienna, Kovent Catalonia, and Silver Arts Project residency at the World Trade Center. Her work has been selected twice in The Centro Leon Jiménez Biennial, obtaining the prize bestowed by the city of Cádiz (Spain) for cultural immersion and a fellowship in Martinique as part of a Tropiques Atrium Caribbean art program. Encarnación has exhibited in places such as Documenta 15th, Afro Syncretic at NYU, I am New Afro Latinx at MOLAA, CA, and Tribeca Artist Program Award. Besides being an actively exhibiting artist, Encarnación has also delved into curatorial practices in spaces such as ChaShama and alternative gallery spaces in NYC and Miami, and the Dominican Republic.
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Jonathan Carela
Jonathan Carela, born in 1991, is an interdisciplinary artist & filmmaker born and based in the Dominican Republic, his work is primarily on mixed media, painting and video art. Carela received three Associates degrees at Altos de Chavón, the school of design, D. R.: Graphic design (2013), Fine Arts (2014), and Filmmaking (2020); in 2016, he received a scholarship to study filmmaking at CCA California College of the Arts.
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Nara Winston
Nara Winston Betancourt, born in 1998, is a Dominican-American multidisciplinary artist based in Los Angeles. Nara investigates tropes that stand out to her such as Dominican elitism, the tourism industry in the Caribbean, and family dynamics and its relation to catholicism in the Dominican Republic.
Coming from a deeply Catholic and family-oriented country like the Dominican Republic, her practice reflects the significant role of religion in her community and life while juxtaposing disparate elements to create imagery that reveals her perspective on truth.
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Fidel López
Fidel López, born in Santo Domingo in 1998, is a multidisciplinary visual artist. His means of expression include drawing in its broadest spectrum, printmaking, and video installation.
He graduated from Chavón La Escuela de Diseño in the Fine Arts and Illustration program in 2019. He has presented his works and collaborated with other artists in collective exhibitions in the Dominican Republic and Mexico. His work has been reviewed in local media such as Hola Pardo magazine and the contemporary art magazine C& América Latina. When referring to his work, Fidel says, "I am interested in highlighting the accumulation of marks and the different processes to which the images I generate have been exposed."
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Manuela Corji
Manuela Corji, born in Medellín in 2000, is an emerging Dominican-Colombian artist. She has participated in various group exhibitions such as "Last Summer" at the Lyle O. Reitzel gallery, as well as "Digo Bueno Día Digo Buena Noche," in collaboration with the Lyle O. Reitzel gallery and the Fernando Peña Defilló Museum.
Her aesthetic technique is grounded in representations of sensuality, eroticism, and intimacy. Influenced by the likes of Alfred Hitchcock, her approach involves elements of voyeurism, placing the audience in the role of an observer in predominantly intimate and private scenes.
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Julián Chams
Julián Chams is a visual artist from the Caribbean Colombian city of Barranquilla. He is currently based in Brooklyn, NY. Through his photography, Julián captures breathtaking images of nature and man-made objects. He later gives them an unexpected twist as he prints and combines them with textiles to make soft sculptural forms and stunning assemblages.
His work has been shown individually and in group exhibitions at Wave Hill and AC Institute in New York; the XVI and XV Salon Regional de Artistas Caribe in Colombia, and La Esquina and 50/50 in Kansas City, MO, among others. He has participated in residencies at BRIC and Wave Hill in New York.
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Andrea Alfaro Rizek (Holmiga)
Puerto Rican artist Andrea Alfaro Rizek, also known as Holmiga, has been illustrating and painting for around 12 years. In the last 3 years she has incorporated tattooing into her practice.
Her work is a visual diary of what attracts and surrounds her. She portrays the essence of the what she perceives in each stage of her life.
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Andrew Arocho
Of Puerto Rican descent, Andrew was born in the Bronx, New York in 1994 and is currently living and working in Miami, an artist, designer, and an innate creative, Andrew is renowned for his raw abstract paintings. His style of visual arts encompasses a fulfilling yet culturally rich aesthetic, taking viewers on a profound mental voyage across the vast seas of the Earth with impassioned fervor. Drawing inspiration from the ocean and his travels, Andrew's canvases are adorned with expressive and concise symbols, which dominate his latest body of work in the form of epic gestural abstractions.
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Richard Vergez
Cuban-American multidisciplinary artist born in Philadelphia, Richard Vergez is a visual and sound artist with a background in graphic design and audio-visual composition. Before relocating to South Florida, he lived and worked in New York, where he was a member of the Brooklyn Collage Collective. His work has been shown in New York, London, Chicago, Los Angeles, and with homework at a solo-show titled ‘Trains of Thought',’ during Miami Art Week 2022 and in ‘Summer School’ in the summer of 2023.
activations
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DECEMBER 1st: Opening Reception + 2 Year Anniversary Party
Join us to celebrate homework’s two year anniversary, along with the grand opening of Hormiga Caribe, a group exhibition of Caribbean art featuring works by Nara Winston, Jonathan Carela, Patricia Encarnación, Julián Chams, Andrea Alfaro, Fidel López, Manuela Corji, Andrew Arocho and Richard Vergez.
Caribbean artists in this polyrhythmic mosaic of resilience are a testament to the vibrant and irrepressible spirit of the region and its artistic community.
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DECEMBER 7th: Ojos Caribe- Screening, Panel + Party
An evening dedicated to celebrating a collective of video artists hailing from various corners of the Caribbean. These artists and filmmakers skillfully capture the essence of the region through a lens that is both critical and culturally sensitive.
The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with Patricia Encarnacion and homework.
Rum & Coke Miami will be weaving a captivating musical score throughout the night, encapsulating the auditory essence of the Caribbean, much like the visual capture achieved by the filmmakers featured in Ojos Caribe.
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DECEMBER 10th: hormiga caribe Closing Brunch
Unwind and close out Miami Art Week with us.
Food by Moodbords and natural wine tasting by You Can’t Sip with Us (Gabriela Ospina [Boia de] + Joshua Gosline)
Music Car0zilla
