• Visual Art & Museums

    Culture of Violence: Work by Victor Cartagena

    Culture of Violence: Work by Victor Cartagena

    MACLA

    October 25-December 23, 2006

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    MACLA/Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana is pleased to present Culture of Violence by San Francisco-based artist Victor Cartagena. This timely exhibition follows the artist’s investigation into violence as an underpinning element of our society. The exhibition features two multi-media installations Bang! Bang! Toy Gun! & Con los Ojos Vendados and related two-dimensional work. The first installation, Con los Ojos Vendados (With their eyes blindfolded) was first conceived in 2005. The installation utilizes video projection and features a dining table with blindfolded faces made out of loves of bread. The installation questions society’s collective blindness towards violence and asks the viewer to open one’s eyes and engage in dialogue about complicity. The second installation, a new commission by MACLA, Bang! Bang! Toy Gun! is inspired by prevalence of youth violence and a recent study that indicated that the firearm homicide rate in the United States was 16 times that of the average for other industrialized countries. Comprised of four video projections of youth holding guns, the artist will hang 500-600 toy guns from the gallery’s ceiling to consume nearly two-thirds of the gallery space. MACLA will publish a catalogue in conjunction with this exhibition. Victor Cartagena has been making art in the Bay Area since fleeing his homeland of El Salvador in the late-80s. Much of his early work dealt with his struggles as an immigrant in the US and the memories of violence in his native El Salvador. While the work in Culture of Violence is informed by Victor’s experience coming of age in a war torn nation, the exhibition examines issues of violence from a global perspective that also happens to be a pressing societal concern here in the United States. Victor is a highly accomplished artist whose work is known for opening a dialogue about challenging issues. His work has been exhibited widely in the Bay Area, southern California, New York and Greece. He’s been the receipent of numerous awards, most notably, the “Visions from the New California” grant award program, sponsored by a seven-member California Artist Residency Consortium that included a month-long residency at the 18th Street Arts Complex in Santa Monica, CA.

    • Ticket Info

      Tickets: Free

    • Dates & Times

      Dates:
      October 25-December 23, 2006

      Times:
      Opening Reception 11/2: 7pm-9pm

      Gallery Hours:
      Wed & Thurs: 12pm-7pm
      Fri & Sat: 12pm-5pm

    • Venue Info

      MACLA

      510 South First Street San Jose, CA 95113

      Full map and directions

    • Accessibility Info
      • Wheelchair Access

    • NOTE: We do our best to ensure all information is accurate, however it's a good idea to visit the website or call the venue to verify the information.

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