QMAil: June 2006

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It is hard to believe but it's June already and that means the official beginning of summer is only days away. That also means that Queerin' Queens (Sunday, June 11), the Museum's annual LGBT pride celebration is coming, as is the beginning of ABCDFilm (Saturday, June 24), our four-week look at popular cinema from Mexico City. Speaking of Mexico City, if you were hoping to travel this summer but your plans just didn't come together, a walk through our galleries will bring you into the magical world that is Mexico City, not to mention the transformative nature of standing above the Panorama and looking down on all of New York City. And last but not least, we are ushering our favorite season with the annual QMA Gala (Thursday, June 22) and you are all welcome to celebrate with us. It's always a good time and details are below.
In closing, we're sorry for the late delivery of QMAil this month, please stay tuned for Passport Fridays, our international outdoor film, music and dance series, every Friday evening in July and August, and enjoy the warmer weather. See you next month.

June masthead: Pedro Lasch, Media Defacements – Part 1 (detail), from the series Naturalizations, 2004, video still.
Background: Daniela Rosell Rovirosa, Untitled (detail), undated. Color print on paper, 31 1/2 x 47 1/4 inches.

CURRENT EXHIBITIONS

ABCDF: Portraits of Mexico City

through August 20, 2006

As the third-largest city in the world, Mexico City and its 22 million inhabitants are exposed to an infinite amount of stimuli that encourages a free and playful interaction of imagery unique to this sprawling locale. ABCDF: Portraits of Mexico City features some 165 photographs, video pieces, prints, engravings, animations, short films and objects capturing the true experience of living in this energetic and enigmatic metropolis. Arranged alphabetically, ABCDF literally provides the ABCs of Mexico City, or Distrito Federal, from abasto (supply), represented by Nestor Quiñones' photomural (measuring 12' x 22') of mountains of the empty produce crates that supply the city, to Zoom, a series of six satellite images that capture the urban sprawl. What lies in between is a journey through the wonderfully enchanting, the less-than-desirable, the tragic and completely joyous, all combining to create the first in-depth survey of daily life in the largest city in North America. Features work by Francis Alys, Miguel Calderon, Ximena Cuevas, Silvia Gruner, Gabriel Kuri, Yoshua Okon, Daniela Rossell, Sabastian Romo, Pedro Reyes and Daniel Guzman and others.

Pablo Ortiz Monasterio, Wake, 1988. Color print on paper, 19 5/8 x 31 1/2 in.

ABCDF: Portraits of Mexico City at the Queens Museum of Art has been made possible by the generous support of: CONACULTA: Mexico's National Council for Culture and Arts. Jacques and Natasha Gelman Trust, Control Bureau, Fundacion Televisa, SRE: Mexico's Ministry of Foreign Affiars, The Mex-Am Cultural Foundation, Inc., The Consulate General of Mexico in New York, Mexican Cultural Institute of New York, Cuervo Tradicional, Mexicana Airlines, Tortilleria Chinantla, Dasein Foundation, Jarritos, Corona, Villacero Group, and Vitro.

More information about ABCDF: Portraits of Mexico City is available here.

Open Routines: Recent Projects by Pedro Lasch

through July 9, 2006

Artist, educator, activist, and cultural organizer Pedro Lasch was born in Mexico City in 1975 and lived there until he moved to New York at the age of 19. Since 1999. Lasch has focused on creating multiple art initiatives that bridge the local concerns and interests of recent Latino immigrants in Queens and beyond with the current state of international politics. Open Routines: Recent Project by Pedro Lasch reflects the artist's preoccupation with the theory and practice of socially engaged art through a series of public interventions within the flow of the everyday. The four works shown in Open Routines, spanning an eight year period, have generated engaging ways to link contemporary art to the Latino community located within the Museum's immediate neighborhood. Three of the four projects involve direct exchanges and collaborations with various communities in Queens. Most of the pieces refer directly to the relationship between the U.S. and Mexico, and reflect cross-class and cosmopolitan perspectives.

Pedro Lasch, Statements on the Mask Ð Part 1 (Naturalizations Series), 2004/2006.

Open Routines: Recent Projects by Pedro Lasch and emerging artists projects at the QMA are supported by the Lily Auchincloss Foundation, Inc., The Greenwall Foundation and the Jerome Foundation.
More information is available here.

Jeff Chien-Hsing Liao: Habitat 7

through August 20, 2006

Jeff Chien-Hsing Liao, Kabab King, Jackson Heights, 2004. Duratran, 20 x 48 inches. Courtesy of the artist and Julie Saul Gallery

For millennia, civilizations have laid their roots along the fertile banks of major rivers to reap the rich natural resources. From the Nile to the Amazon and Yangtze, the river basins have become the birthplaces of new cultures and societies. Today it is the manmade arteries that serve as the spines of new communities and none in New York has become home to a more diverse system of societies than the culturally rich soils that surround the #7 train. In his first solo museum exhibition, Taiwanese-born, Queens-based photographer and winner of the 2nd Annual New York Times Magazine “Capture the Times” Photography Competition, Jeff Chien-Hsing Liao, examines the various enclaves that exist on the route between Times Square and Flushing. Jeff Chien-Hsing Liao: Habitat 7 features 30 of Liao's large-scale panoramic images - some measuring 8 feet in width - printed on Duratrans and installed in lightboxes surrounding the QMA's historic Panorama of the City of New York, inviting not only a reconsideration of the ways in which modern societies evolve around the river basins of today, but also the deep breadth and depth of the communities that have developed along a single subway line.

Jeff Chien-Hsing Liao: Habitat 7 has been made possible by the generous support of the Council for Cultural Affairs, Taiwan, R.O.C. in collaboration with the Taipei Cultural Center, TECO in New York, JGS, Inc. and Crystal Foundation.
More information is available here.

Local Words: An Interactive Installation by Sol Aramendi

through July 9, 2006

The Artzone, the Museum's interactive family-friendly art space, has been transformed into a living room by Queens based artist, Sol Aramendi. The walls are covered by photographs taken by students participating in a photography workshop offered in Spanish at Local Project Art Collective. Echoing the concept of ABCDF, the students used the structure of the alphabet as their guide to identify local words that help define the essence of Queens. The installation also includes a video installation where visitors take a subway ride of ethnic diversity through images of immigrant women pronouncing the letters of the alphabet in different languages. Visitors can be part of this installation by sharing their own stories and images of Queens through a series of writing and drawing activities. On Sundays, visitors can have their portraits taken, and add their recorded testimonies to the constantly evolving installation.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Artists Talk Series

Monday, June 5, 6 - 7 pm

Come join Patricia Zarate, Jaime Arredondo, and Nancy Freidmann, who will talk about their work as Latino artists in Queens. Patricia Zarate is a Colombian artist whose work includes pen and ink drawings, photographs, and handmade books. Jaime Arredondo is a Mexican-American painter whose work reflects both modern Mexican and ancient Mesoamerican culture. Nancy Friedemann is a Colombian artist whose drawings reflect the intimate connections between different cultures and different times in history. (In Spanish)

Saturday, June 10, 1 - 3 pm

Come join the artists again for a free art-making workshop. Some the the techniques explored will be: drawing, painting, printmaking, and bookmaking. The workshop will be in Spanish with English translation.

QMA/Jeff Chien-Hsing Liao 7 Train Photo Contest Show & Reception

Saturday, June 10, 3 - 5 pm

Professional and amateur photographers were invited to enter the QMA 7 Train Photo Contest, capturing the essence of this unique subway line, following the example set by Jeff Chien-Hsing Liao in his current exhibition Habitat 7. Join us for a slideshow of the submissions and listen to Jeff speak about the project that won him the 2nd Annual NY Times Capturing the Times photography competition. The winners of the QMA competition will also be announced and refreshments will be served.

4th Annual Queerin' Queens Celebration & CINEMAROSA – Queens Only Queer Film Series

Sunday, June 11, 3 - 7 pm

The Queens Museum of Art is pleased to announce the 4th Annual Queerin' Queens LGBT Pride Celebration in the beautiful setting of Flushing Meadows Park. This event brings together organizations and individuals in an afternoon of free music, dance, video, dynamic performances, food, art, and activism to celebrate and support the importance and strength of multicultural connections in our New York gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered communities.
Additional information is available at Cinemarosa's web site

3 - 5 pm

Yours Emotionally (Sridhar Rangayan, UK/India, 2006, 83 minutes, HD Video, English)
YE follows Ravi, a gay British-Punjabi and his best mate Paul on their visit to a small town near the Indian metropolis of Bangalore. During his sojourn over a week in this idyllic hill town, he gets a taste of gay life and its nuances there.
Preceded by multimedia presentation of LAVENDER INK, a collection of Literary Narratives created by members of SAGE\Queens who took part in the month long “Writing and Visualization” program led by New Media Artist, Hector Canonge. **Both Directors to be present for Q&A**

5 - 7 pm

Queerin' Queens 2006 Performances & Afterparty
Featuring performances by the following with refreshments and a dance party featuring a mix of Bollywood/Bhangra/World beats by Ashu Rai, the co-founder of Sholay Productions.
SEBASTIAN AZUL has been singing and composing since he was a child in Peru. His style encompasses pop, disco, dance, and rock en espanol.
LEAH LAKSHMI PIEPZNA-SAMARASINHA is a queer Sri Lankan high femme diva without the drama and she is the author of Consensual Genocide (TSAR, 2006).
Eclectic dynamic diva IMANI UZURI is often compared to artists like Grace Jones and Nina Simone as one who defies category. UZURI has collaborated and recorded with the likes of John Legend, Talib Kweli, King Britt, dub kings Sly And Robbie and musical legend Herbie Hancock. She is currently preparing for the upcoming release of her debut solo album, Her Holy Water: A Black Girl's Rock Opera.
In 1996, EMANUEL XAVIER took the New York City spoken word scene by storm, quickly becoming one of the most significant voices to emerge from the neo-Nuyorican poetry movement. Xavier captivated audiences with a fresh and poignant brand of art that celebrated sexuality, Latino heritage, and the often brutal streets of New York.
And what Queerin' Queens celebration would be complete without drag performances by the divine ZEENA DIWANI and the always electrifying BIJLI.

Promotional Partners include: Cinemarosa, Sholay Productions, 3rd I NY, Queens Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Pride Committee, Lavender Latkes, GRIOT Circle and SAGE/Queens.

The ABCs of Bookmaking

Sunday, June 11, 1:30 - 4:30 pm

Join us for a free tour and workshop based upon the theme of alphabets and city stories found in ABCDF: Portraits of Mexico City. Participants will create their own books based upon the exhibition, using printmaking techniques such as collographs, monotypes, relief and for children and stamp-making for teens and adults). The binding of the books will take place the following Sunday, followed by a book party with readings and a reception. All ages are welcome.

Walking Art & Community Tours from Corona Library to QMA

Saturday, June 17, 2:30 - 4 pm

There is so much history in out own backyards that goes unnoticed on a daily basis. The public is invited to view Corona through the eyes of a historian and the artists who worked with the ABCDF exhibition. Join us for a tour led by artists and historians as we walk down Roosevelt Avenue, 111th Street and Flushing Meadows.

Film Focus on Mexico City: Documentaries from the Latin American Video Archives

Saturday, June 17, 4 - 6 pm

A locale with the verve of Mexico City has a lot of stories to tell. With a special film focus on Distrito Federal, take a look at some of the issues facing Mexico City today.

We're Still Here /Todavia estamos (Greg Berger, 30 mins, 2001, Mexico)
A lively look at the mismanagement that has made Mexico City a magnet for “natural” disasters. Narrated by a wise-cracking skeleton, the video shows how floods, gas explosions, earthquakes loom threateningly on the Mexico City horizon like the active volcano Popocatéptl. But as the video tells us, “the problem is not Popo, but poopoo” – less dramatic, but equally deadly problems like sewage, shoddy construction, and bad engineering that lead to ineffective disaster prevention.
Sinking Magic (Dirk Vandersypen and Jan Van Bilsen, 52 mins, 1998, Mexico)
Mexico City is squeezed between a thick layer of smog and an underground so swampy that it literally sinks 6 inches per year. It's 20 million-plus inhabitants are plagued by corrupt police and terrorized by rampant crime. Follow our masked lucha libre narrator to see how they have responded to these obstacles by the force of their own popular culture, strength of character, and their devotion to family and the Virgin of Guadelupe.

Pedro Lasch's Grand Tianguis Transnacional Sonidero Bash
A Benefit for Mexicanos Unidos de Queens, Ticket Price $10

Saturday, June 17, 6 - 12 am

Whether you have been to a sonidero party or not, join us for what is sure to go down in the annals of QMA history as an unforgettable night. From 6 - 8 pm join artist Pedro Lasch for an interactive tour of his exhibition and charge your batteries with some tasty Mexican treats. At 8 pm the bar opens and 15 diverse Sonidero Sound Systems crank up the cumbia for a dance party you won't forget. Featured Sonidos include: Sonido Sensacion Fanny (Desde Mexico), Los Nukiis, and El Internacional Sonido Latino. Between 10 - 11 pm, Sonido TT will allow partiers to send shout outs to their loved ones in Latin America live via direct phone connection through the sonidero switchboard!

Partnering organizations include: Mexicanos Unidos de Queens, Onda Sonidera, La Chula Baby, Grupo De Arte Y Justicia Social, And Queens Museum of Art. Sponsoring Organization include: Producciones Azteca, Que Pasa Radio, El Reyno De La Cumbia, Goose Company, Los Rangel, New Roberts Mini Market, and Las Rosas Bakery.

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