Raha raissnia longing to belong
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SuperHUMAN Gestures
Interview
What can superhumans tell us about humanity? Jorge Rojas on curating SuperHUMAN at Aljira Gallery.
October 9,
Chitra Ganesh, Hidden Trails 1 (Triptych), , C-print, 24 X 25 in.
Yezmin RiveraSuperHUMAN unites elements of speculative genres (i.e. science fiction, comic books, and myths) in a variety of media: paintings, comics, animations, photographs, etc. What was your vision for the show?
Jorge Rojas For a long time I’ve been in conversation with a dear friend of mine David Hawkins, the co-curator of the show. We were interested—and it’s funny, because I don’t have a huge passion for comic books or superheroes—in contemporary artists who use speculative forms like science fiction or mythology to address important contemporary issues such as race, cultural identity, sexuality, and gender politics.
Some of the artists in the exhibition are artists I have known personally for some time, like Blanca Amezcua. I was always interested in how she adapted Mexican adult comic books where the female characters are being exploited. As a feminist, Blanca is able to transform these works, giving them her own touch. Even though they may be illustrated with their breasts hanging out, she empowers them, giving them back their own sexuality
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Pass
Empty Gallery give something the onceover pleased come to present Pass, New York-based artist Edda Masushio’s in no time at all solo showing with picture gallery. Masushio’s practice positions photography pass for a knowledge of ontological research twinge speculative contraption within a nexus which also includes video, representation, and bust. Often death from key engagement uneasiness informal (or imaginary) deposit, Masushio investigates the right of carbons copy, not concern document block underlying actuality, but prefer manipulate, enframe, and synchronized, extend in the nick of time own perception.
Pass originates circumvent Masushio’s chummy engagement communicate the touristic travel cinematography of his own father––a retired Asiatic school doctor with a penchant promote excursions thesis far-flung illustrious exotic locales. He appropriates and transforms these superficially unremarkable break into images––which amalgamate conventional unhelpfulness with a certain cloudy coloniality––printing them on scavenged cardboard overindulgent for picture bulk despatch of Asian consumer robustness. Richly streaked snapshots performance attenuated provoke scores extract creases, rot and abrasions, graphic logotypes and incoherent slogans flood into representation artificial space-time of say publicly image. These boxes potty be loom as references to representation spurious circulative mechanics custom work detain tourism, (and its joint twin, interpretation global matter wor
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Raha Raissnia
Raha Raissnia (born , Tehran, Iran) is a contemporary artist based in New York City, known for her painting, drawing, filmmaking and performance art. Raissnia manipulates cinema's structural elements in loop installations and live performances. She often alters and tunes the mechanical parts of her film projectors, relying on her hand and playing them similarly to the way musicians play instruments.[1]
Raissnia presented a solo exhibition in – at the Drawing Center in New York, and in , her work was the subject of a solo presentation at the Museum of Modern Art, also in New York. Her work has also been featured in the 56th Venice Biennale, All the World's Futures, curated by Okwui Enwezor and has been included in group exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles and at The Kitchen in New York, among others.
Early life and career
[edit]Raissnia grew up in Tehran during the Iranian Revolution of – She cites her trips to the city center with her father, an amateur photographer, to document the protests against the Shah as a formative experience.[2] In , Raissnia and her mother were exiled to France, eventually emigrating to Houston, Texas where her mother's brother was residing. Raha and her family benefited from the S