Statement:
Vodou Riche: Contemporary Haitian Art is a multimedia group exhibition of recent work created within the social, political and spiritual context of Vodou, Haitiís national religion. These artists embrace a history of appropriating imagery and incorporating found objects, a practice born from necessity and great invention. The artwork in this exhibition spans from urban artist collectives who create monumental sculpture from reclaimed materials to established artists who deconstruct traditional Haitian genres to illustrate contemporary issues. As Haitian artists embrace new methods and media, their work grows increasingly vital in the global art world. Vodou Riche challenges Haiti's oft-used label the poorest country in the Western hemisphere by presenting the abundance and wealth of Haitiís creative output. While their country battles socioeconomic problems, Haitian artists embrace the richness of their culture by capturing Haitiís irrepressible, vibrant and triumphant spirit.
Vodou is a Creole religion that is rooted in a number of different West and Central African religions that were brought to the Caribbean with enslaved people. African religious practices were condemned and forbidden in the young colony of Saint-Domingue (the colonial name of Haiti), so African deities were reborn in the guise of Catholic saints. These New World deities were based on African models, but also influenced by European religion and custom. Over time, as Vodou's existence went from underground to mainstream, the saints and the spirits fused into one where an image of the Madonna and Child can represent Mary and Jesus, or Ezili Danto and Anais, or both simultaneously. Following the Haitian Revolution (1791-1803), Vodou developed side by side with the birth of the new nation of Haiti, the first "Black Republic" in the Western Hemisphere. Vodou soon became more than a religion, but a culture and way of life that has infiltrated Haitian society for centuries and continues to inspire a nation.
- Neysa Page-Lieberman, Curator
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Schedule:
August 27 - October 11, 2007 [C]Spaces: Glass Curtain Gallery at Columbia College Chicago
Available after January 1, 2008
Exhibition Contents:
Approximately 50 works (see digital catalogue for illustrated checklist) including paintings, photography, assemblage, beaded textiles, 3-dimensional textiles, sculpture, metal work, altar installation and multimedia light boxes.
Support materials:
Text panels of object descriptions, exhibition themes and artist biographies, DVD slideshow of artist communities in Haiti.
Space Requirements:
2,500-3,500 square feet. Vodou Riche: Contemporary Haitian Art can be adapted to suit your exhibition space.
Publication:
Digital catalogue available immediately. Printed catalogue in production.
Participation fee:
$15,000 for a 12-week booking. Includes all exhibition contents and support materials, and shipping one way.
Curator:
Neysa Page-Lieberman is the Director of [C]Spaces, the galleries of Columbia College Chicago where she oversees five art galleries and four event spaces. She is also an adjunct lecturer for the museum at the Art Institute of Chicago where she specializes in non-Western and contemporary art. She holds a master's degree in art history and has been curating, publishing and lecturing in Chicago since 2000. She is currently producing the traveling portion of Vodou Riche and organizing new contemporary art exhibitions for Columbia College and beyond.
Contact:
Neysa Page-Lieberman Director of [C]Spaces npage-lieberman@colum.edu (312) 344-7696
Organized by [C]Spaces: Glass Curtain Gallery of Columbia College Chicago
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Press/Reviews:
"Vodou Riche: Contemporary Haitian Art," multimedia. "Vodou Riche," the exhibit of contemporary art from Haiti, is nothing short of stunning--an array of works by turns explosively colorful and shockingly grim that reveals the continuing importance of Haiti’s spiritual national religion. Beware, however: it may well put a spell on you. Conflagrations of color--almost audibly vivid, but tautly composed--flame out from the show’s many drapo: flags of satin or velvet sewn with thousands of beads and sequins depicting interactions between the multiple gods and mortals.
- Sean Francis, NewCityChicago
(October 2007)
The tale of contemporary Haitian art speaks to humanity’s innate drive for self-expression and how this passion has never been constrained by something as comparatively trivial as poverty. Vodou Riche was a superb exploration of a wealth of art coming from an extremely poor nation...Vodou Riche was a very large exhibition where many styles and media were juxtaposed without restraint or hesitation. The entire room was a cornucopia of stylistic symbiosis.
- Eric Grimes, Review Magazine
(January 2008)
In this work, Duval-Carrie, like Vodou Riche has stepped away from historical and cultural reference, but even further, he has stepped away from the traditional iconography of Vodou. The muddiness of this composition combined with the striking beauty parallels the theme of Vodou Riche, that of creative richness in the face of poverty. Duval-Carrie’s choice of work, and by extension Vodou Riche’s contemporary context, suggests that Haitian identity and visual culture by necessity indicate the power and aesthetics of Vodou. This underlying sentiment of the exhibition was indeed a contemporary look at Haitian art, with a nod to the future.
- Jenny Maki, African Arts Review
*Excerpted from an extensive review slated for publication in African Arts magazine in summer 2008.
Campus Reaction:
Vodou Riche created a torrent of discussion on campus including coverage in the student newspaper and a number of student reactions to the show (here, here, here and here).
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Vodou