Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) Installation and Ceremony by Laura Irene on view from Nov 1-28, 2021
*Social responsibility is a must, all are welcome that do not impose an unsafe environment for others, please consider your accountability for your community.
The Rhizome backyard will be transformed into a safe space for reflection and healing on view Nov 1st through Nov 28th, the public is encouraged to visit throughout the day/night for as long as little as needed. This minimalist art outdoor installation by Laura Irene honors our beloved dead.
On Monday, November 1st at 7:30pm – 8:30pm the public is invited to Rhizome for a candlelight ceremony and musical offering featuring Son Cosita Seria, a DC based Son Jarocho collective, who will lead us in music to honor the souls of our loved ones. You will have the opportunity to participate in the music throughout the night, in addition to sharing the name of your loved one. Under the moon we will gather in the backyard for a safe, thoughtful, and communal experience. This will be a night of remembrance and community is meant to create a much-needed space as we continue to process our continued loss. You do not have to know someone that has passed on to participate, as your presence will be welcome as support. Loss is defined not just as in death, all types of loses need healing.
Curator's Statement:
Day of the Dead signifies a time in which communities come together to remember their loved ones – the ways in which that is done varies across traditional lines. To an uneducated public, it has become synonymous with Mexico seen only as candied skulls and skeleton painted faces that is often confused with an offensive Halloween costume. Not only is it experienced differently across Mexico but it is also celebrated throughout Latin America dating back to pre-colonization. This exhibit aims to reclaim this holiday that has been gentrified, repackaged as décor, and sold in party stores across the USA. Our culture, identity and experiences are not for sale. This exhibit encourages the Rhizome community during this difficult year to discern, contemplate, mourn, and remember in order to process, and heal.
Laura Irene is a Mexican American artist, curator, writer and art critic. As an artist, Laura strives to reach not only those that appreciate an encapsulating texture, but especially to those that never thought to accept beauty in such a simple manner. Laura works in beeswax, dirt, paper and wood. Her goal is to bring together the natural elements as a form of art that evokes a change of mind and challenges the space in which it exists. As a curator, Laura works to challenge institutions to review how they interact with marginalized communities and artists of color. She creates a space for artists and herself to be seen and heard in a thoughtful and contemplative environment. As a writer, Laura challenges others to think about the space that they take up. She gives a voice to those that are marginalized and challenges society to think differently about their responsibility as human beings. As an art critic, Laura writes about artists of color underrepresented in the media in the hopes that her voice will create a more authentic and truer version of their truth.