Exhibition Walk-Through and Open Mic Reading
Thursday, August 22, 2013, 6-9pm
@ Gallery 151
132 West 18th Street (between 6th and 7th streets)
New York, NY
SAWCC is pleased to present an artist/curator exhibition walk-through and an open mic/rapid-fire reading that explore the embodiment of the female superhero: unapologetically strong, unabashedly sexual, and unequivocally outspoken.
The evening will commence with a brief walk-through of Jasmine Wahi’s current exhibition, The Least Orthodox Goddess. Wahi will discuss her curatorial choices and how the role of contemporary feminist praxis inform the exhibition. Other speakers will include artists from the exhibition: Anjali Bhargava, Swati Khurana, and Carrie Mae Rose.
Following the walk-through, we invite anyone and everyone to participate in a open mic reading from 7:30pm onward. This exercise is meant to be fun and engaging, and both SAWCC and non-SAWCC members are invited. Please see guidelines below!
READING GUIDELINES:
– Readings begin at 7:30pm.
– Readings/recitations should be inspired by themes within the exhibition including (but not limited to): female empowerment, sexual liberation, gender identity, or radical feminism.
– This is a rapid-fire reading and readings should be short (no more than 3-5 minutes). Readers will be timed!
– Presented work may be any form of literary media, from traditional poetry to monologue to non-poetic excerpts. All genres are welcome. Works may be original or a favorite piece by another author related to the theme.
– Please sign up on the Facebook event wall so that we may allocate enough time for everyone. Time- and space-permitting, there will also be a sign-up sheet at the door.
If you have any questions, please email info@sawcc.org.
About The Least Orthodox Goddess at Gallery 151
Gallery 151 is proud to present the Least Orthodox Goddess, a guest-curated show from Jasmine Wahi. This group exhibition features work from a dozen contemporary artists who explore the mannerisms and traits of the Goddess character, as imagined by curator Jasmine Wahi. The Least Orthodox Goddess is the embodiment of the female superhero: unapologetically strong, unabashedly sexual, and unequivocally outspoken.
Inspired by Anjali Bhargava and Swati Khurana’s 2012 mixed-media piece, “Unsuitable Girls,†Wahi has expanded the project through this namesake exhibition. At a surface glance, the collection of work seemingly illustrates a mystical narrative, but on a deeper level, the Least Orthodox Goddess explores the visual culture of gender-empowering contemporary art that draws from religious symbolism, fashion, and photography.
Borrowing from both Christian and Hindu mythology, Wahi’s exhibition promises a cross-cultural story of depictions of femininity that negotiate power, be it Anjali Bhargava’s Pietà -inspired portrait or Peter Gronquist’s taxidermied mash-ups of fashion and violence. Featuring both male and female artists, each work in the exhibition explores ideas of empowerment, feminist identity, popular culture, and symbolism, offering a reflection on the role of the female form, with special attention paid to women of color.
Jasmine Wahi is a New York City-based independent curator and the co-founder of Project For Empty Space, a nonprofit arts organization that is dedicated to bringing contemporary art to communities worldwide through the use of abandoned and unusual urban spaces. Wahi’s curatorial practice primarily focuses on addressing social issues through the exhibition and exploration of work by women of color. Wahi serves on the board of the South Asian Women’s Creative Collective (SAWCC), as a visual arts specialist. She is also a volunteer teacher at GEMS (the Girls Educational Mentoring Services network), and an advocate for women/girls sexual rights.