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Here’s what’s happening for First Friday

Here’s what’s happening for First Friday

Juneau Arts & Humanities Council: Fabienne Luiza Peter-Contesse | “The Fine Art of Textiles,” 350 Whittier St, Juneau Arts & Culture Center, 4:30-7 p.m. The Juneau Arts & Humanities Council presents: “The Fine Art of Textiles”, a solo exhibition by Fabienne Luiza Peter-Contesse that features new works in textile, fiber and art quilting.

Peter-Contesse uses vibrant hand-dyed fabric, thread and ink as her palette to create intricate explosions of color and depth. Her exhibition examines both improvisational and representational art through textiles.The Fine Art of Textiles will be on exhibit through the month of May, and can be viewed during regular business hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturdays, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Fabienne will give an artist’s talk at 5 p.m. Friday, May 12 in the Gallery. Admission is free, and light refreshments will be provided.

Alaska State Museum: “Visceral: Verity, Legacy, Identity – Alaska Native Gut Knowledge & Perseverance,” 395 Whittier St., Andrew P. Kashevaroff Building, 4:30-7 p.m. “Visceral: Verity, Legacy, Identity – Alaska Native Gut Knowledge and Perseverance,” is a group of three interrelated exhibitions co-curated by artist Sonya Kelliher-Combs, one of only a few artists working with marine mammal gut, that explore contemporary and historical Alaska Native issues, spotlighting gut as a conduit for Indigenous voices.

“Visceral: Verity,” a new exhibition of work by Kelliher-Combs, includes mixed-media installations that combine natural and synthetic materials and evoke questions of authentic experience, truth, abuse, transparency and credibility.

“Visceral: Legacy” expands Kelliher-Combs’s solo exhibition themes through a selection of objects from the museum’s permanent collection.

“Visceral: Identity” features gut parkas from across Alaska to highlight technical and historical aspects of this remarkable material in cross-cultural perspective.

Kelliher-Combs, co-curator and conservator Ellen Carrlee, and anthropologist Sven Haakanson, Jr. will participate in a panel discussion at 6:30 pm in the APK lecture hall on Friday.

Haakanson will lead a free bear gut processing workshop 10 a.m-4 p.m. on Saturday, May 6 and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday, May 7. Drop-in participation is welcome throughout.

The Visceral trilogy of exhibitions will be on display throughout the summer 2023 season and will include other special workshops and lectures. Visit the museum’s exhibitions and events page for more information.

Juneau Jazz & Classics and Áak’w Rock: Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band, 320 Willoughby Ave, Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall, 7-9 p.m. This Spring Festival, Juneau Jazz & Classics partners with Áak’w Rock to bring you the extraordinary talent of the Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band, made up of 16 members representing a wide range of Indigenous cultures from across North America.

More information about the Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band is available online at the band’s website.

Tickets to Friday’s concert can be purchased online through the Juneau Jazz & Classics website.

Juneau-Douglas City Museum: “For Our Children: Chilkat Regalia Woven in the Lineage of Jennie Thlunaut & Clarissa Rizal,” 114 W. Fourth St., 4-7 p.m. The Juneau-Douglas City Museum is hosting a free reception for the re-opening of “For Our Children: Chilkat Regalia Woven in the Lineage of Jennie Thlunaut & Clarissa Rizal.” Curated by Lily Hope, this exhibition showcases finger-twined Chilkat robes woven by three generations of Chilkat weavers: Master Weavers Jennie Thlunaut and Clarissa Rizal, living weavers Hope, Shgen George and Ricky Tagaban, and seventeen new student weavers.

The exhibition will be on view May 5 through September, 2023.

Marie Drake Planetarium: Open House at Planetarium, 1415 Glacier Ave., 5:30-7 p.m. Join Steve and Quinn for a visit to the universe in the planetarium’s 30-foot dome. Masks will be provided but not required. The Marie Drake Planetarium is a nonprofit that provides free astronomy education to Juneau’s public.

Coppa: MK MacNaughton, artist, 917 Glacier Ave. 5-7 p.m. Coppa will feature original paintings by MK MacNaughton. MacNaughton has been enticing the Juneau community with her paintings that depict the beauty of nature. Come and see the next chapter in her artistic story.

The exhibit will be up through the month.

Hearthside Books: Mary Lou King, Author, Kelsey Hoke, Watercolor Artist, Dan Hopson, Musician, 2 Marine Way, Ste. 119, 4:30-7 p.m. Hearthside Books is pleased to welcome Mary Lou King for the book launch of the brand new “90 Plus Short Walks Around Juneau.” Kelsey Hoke will be showing her original watercolors and Dan Hopson will accompany the evening with classical guitar music.

First Friday opening only.

Frost + Fur: Glo Ramírez – GloInk, 2 Marine Way, Suite 114, 4:30-7 p.m. GloInk / Glo Ramírez is the featured artist at Frost + Fur in the Historic Merchant’s Wharf. Ramírez will be fully stocked on all her Cute But Cool products — earrings, stickers, clothing, etc.

This event is for First Friday only.

Black Moon Koven: Chromatic Crystal, alcohol ink painter, 224 Seward St., 4:30-7 p.m. Black Moon Koven will feature Inupiaq artist “Chromatic” Crystal Jackson and her “Strange Eyes” series of alcohol ink painting prints, along with other vibrant aluminum prints of critters and places of Alaska. Humorous stickers and handmade beaded earrings will also be available on opening night.

The exhibit will be up through the month.

Annie Kaill’s: Louise Kuntz-Tadda, ceramicist, 124 Seward St., 4:30-7:30 p.m. Popular Annie Kaill’s ceramic artist Louise Kuntz-Tadda has a fresh batch of her nature-inspired works. Kuntz-Tadda tries to capture the beauty of our wonderful Southeast surroundings in drawings, etchings, and glazes on each piece she creates—each piece is a blank canvas. She loves to share the joy of creating with clay, and has taught pottery classes in both Nome and Juneau for more than 20 years.

This event is for First Friday only.

Plants Before Time: Plant Stitches by ReccaShay Crafts, 118 Seward St., 3:30-6:30 p.m. Plants Before Time will feature local artist Rebecca Hsieh of ReccaShay Crafts and her recent exploration of combining gouache and embroidery “Plant Stitches” showcasing some of her favorite plants in this new mixed media.

This event is for First Friday only.

Shoefly Alaska: Tuesday Rabbit by Hannah Mitchell, 109 Seward Street, 4-7 p.m. Shoefly will feature local artist Tuesday Rabbit by Hannah Mitchell. Tuesday Rabbit focuses on silver, shells, and hand picked finds to create one of a kind jewelry pieces. Mitchell has been silversmithing since November 2022 and is finally ready to launch some silver pieces after honing her craft. Exclusive silver rings, earrings, and shell pieces will be launched during her first guest artist appearance on First Friday.

This event is for First Friday only.

Sealaska Heritage Institute: Mario Fulmer (Fur and Beaded Jewelry), Kelsey Erickson-Kizer (Beaded jewelry and prints), Christina Waska (Fur jewelry), 105 S Seward St, Sealaska Arts Campus, 4:30-7 p.m.

Sealaska Heritage Institute will be hosting three artists (Mario Fulmer, Kelsey Erickson-Kizer, and Christina Waska) in the lobby of the Walter Soboleff Building. Check out SHI’s new exhibit, which celebrates the art of Native women across Alaska, and will be open and free of charge for the duration of First Friday. The Atnané Hít (Arts Campus) will be open to visitors to view Steve Brown actively working on a totem pole and a Northwest Coast art exhibit filled with student artwork made from the classrooms of JDHS and TMHS.

First Friday opening only.

The Crystal Saloon: Sunny Porch (Solo) with Melanie Brown & “Cinco de Dance – O”, 218 Front Street

5-7 p.m., 10 p.m.-close

Melanie Brown is no stranger to The Crystal Saloon Stage. Bringing reggae-inspired originals and feel good vibes.

Starting at 10pm: “Cinco de Dance – O”. A two story dance event featuring DJ Javiii on the mainstage of The Crystal Saloon and DJ Aicardi in the Bearcade. A night featuring salsa, bachata, house music and specialty festive cocktails and mocktails!

First Friday opening only.

Barnaby Brewing Company: Hollis Kitchin, 165 Shattuck Way, 3-8 p.m.

Hollis Kitchin uses watercolor to create interpretations of the Southeast Alaskan Landscape. “Mini Mountainscapes” by Hollis Kitchin features a collection of paintings that capture the mood of the Southeast weather and landscape.

Exhibit up through the month.

Rainforest Yoga: Free Yoga with Tammy Davis, 171 Shattuck Way, Ste. 202B, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Join Tammy for a free foundational asana practice with functional movements and breath work.

First Friday opening only.

Rainbow Foods: New Oil Paintings by Page Bridges, 4th & N Franklin Street, 4:30-7 p.m.

New paintings on new forever theme of OUTER SPACE. Outer space is a broad subject including earth space and inner space. It inspires formal invention and imagination. See them near the sandwiches and in the child’ bay.

Exhibit up through the month.

Cosmik Debriz: Cosmik Debriz Launch Party, 204 N Franklin Street, 4-8 p.m.

A blast from the past with the future in mind – Juneau’s favorite purveyor of vintage alaskana, retro stylings, and wearable art is opening a store front! Enjoy homemade cookies while you peruse a curated collection of vintage flannels, dresses, mugs, Alaska themed t-shirts, and more.

Exhibit up through the month.

Devil’s Club Brewing Company: Logan Terry, 100 N Franklin Street, 4-8 p.m.

Dark Daze by Logan Terry showcases the light and dark times in his life. By contrasting the bright pop art we’re used to seeing from him with darker more abrasive pieces, it shows that these two experiences in life must exist together for good or bad.

Exhibit up through the month.

Kindred Post: Annie Bartholomew, 145 S Franklin Street, 4:30-7 p.m.

Get an advance copy of Annie Bartholomew’s debut album, Sisters of White Chapel, only at Kindred Post during May First Friday. Annie will be at the shop with her banjo playing songs from the release and selling early copies of the CD featuring of songs inspired by women who came to Alaska during the Klondike Gold Rush.

Please note mail services are not available during special events

First Friday opening only.

Juneau Artists Gallery: Kelsey Hoke Martin, contemporary painter, 175 S Franklin St, Ste. 111, Senate Building , 4:30-7:30 p.m.

Kelsey Hoke Martin, artist and owner of K.Hoke Contemporary, is the featured Artist of the Month at the Juneau Artists Gallery. Kelsey features framed prints of her gorgeous watercolor and acrylic paintings of the Juneau landscape. She also has on display acrylic originals, unique printed camp mugs, and other detailed items.

“I am inspired by colors, texture, and culture. I fully recognize I am new to Alaska, however, I want to be as good to Alaska and its land as it has been to me. I’m lucky to live here and call this home. I hope that comes through in my art.”

Exhibit up through the month.

Arctic Chiropractic Juneau, LLC: Sonni Suson, 2243 Jordan Avenue, Valley, 7-9 p.m.

First Friday in the Valley, featuring wheel-thrown pottery made by Sonni Suson. Sonni has been an active participant of the annual UAS Student Art Exhibition and participates in the Pottery Sale held at the end of each semester at UAS.

Sonni Suson was born and raised in Michigan before transplanting to the west coast. She lives in Juneau with her husband Dean, their dog Riku, and one cantankerous, beautiful blue-eyed cat, Crono. Sonni works for the Department of Fish and Game by day, and by weekend and evening pursues her love for pottery.

Exhibit up through the month.

Cosmos Group Holdings and Smart Citi Teknologi partner to push blockchain smart city initiatives

Cosmos Group Holdings and Smart Citi Teknologi partner to push blockchain smart city initiatives

Blockchain company Cosmos Group Holdings and Philippines-based tech company Smart Citi Teknologi have teamed up for a strategic partnership to use Cosmos’ knowledge of Art & Cultural Digital Ownership Tokens (DOTs) to accelerate Smart Citi Teknologi’s transition to the field of smart city solutions.

Smart Citi Teknologi has long been working on developing smart city solutions. The company offers a wide variety of services that facilitate the growth of inclusive, sustainable, and smart cities. Leveraging on Cosmos’s expertise in DOTs, Cosmos Group Holdings will provide Smart Citi Teknologi with services related to the creation of Art & Cultural DOTs for all tangible and intangible assets, which Smart Citi Teknologi will use solely for its Smart Cities Solutions. In order to develop a new services for their markets, the parties will also contribute their individual patented technologies. 

Don’t miss: HK based NFT and blockchain game developer to launch NFT footballers and game

Cosmos Group in particular specialises in Art & Cultural DOTs, specifically non-fungible tokens created by utilising distributed ledger technologies and non-fungible tokens (“NFT”) technology with a unique identifier to reflect digital ownership titles to a tangible or an intangible asset. They do this by embedding legally binding ownership documentation into the metadata of the DOT and securing such metadata on a blockchain.

The company differentiates itself from other market players by using DOTs that address rights and the title of ownership to a physical art or collectible piece that is underpinned by smart contracts stored on the blockchain. This advanced technology provides a better tool for authentication and ownership tracking of the arts and collectibles.

According to a statement made by Cosmos Group in 2022, the company announced the broadened use of DOTs to include pictures, sculptures, paintings, and a variety of collectibles created by a variety of artists in various places.

“We are excited to partner with Smart Citi Teknologi to bring the benefits of Art & Cultural DOTs to Smart Cities Solutions,” said Terry Lee, chief executive officer of Coinllectibles, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cosmos Group Holdings. “This partnership will enable us to expand our reach into new markets and provide our unique and innovative art and blockchain services and solutions to Smart Citi Teknologi,” he added.

Commenting on the partnership, Mario Marcos, president and founder of Smart Citi Teknologi, added, “Our goal is to develop Smart Cities Solutions that will improve the quality of life of citizens. The partnership with Cosmos Group Holdings allows us to leverage their expertise in Art & Cultural DOTs to provide comprehensive and efficient solutions to our smart cities markets, while also enabling us to contribute to the promotion and preservation of art and culture.”

As an initiative to further expand its reach to other sectors and raise awareness of DOTs, Cosmos Group also partnered with Apollo Arts Auctions back in January to present 5 ancient art pieces with DOTs. During the same month, the company joined forces with ART SG, one of Singapore’s inaugural art fair, to showcase more than 20 traditional and digital artworks, including its 3D autostereoscopic tablets which contained a digital ownership token of a specified artwork alongside the original prints from the artists.

Meanwhile, Smart Citi Teknologi’s continuous effort in exploring Smart Cities Solutions started a while ago. The company joined hands with China Information Technology Development Limited (CITD) back in April to develop mutually beneficial Smart Cities Solutions for the Asia Pacific region. Throughout the collaboration, CITD will give Smart Citi Teknologi access to its cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) and software solutions, enabling the creation of ground-breaking Smart Cities Solutions for regulating harsh weather, pedestrian traffic, and public transportation.   

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‘What have I seen?’: Joel Meyerowitz’s life in photography

‘What have I seen?’: Joel Meyerowitz’s life in photography
image

‘This space is covered in a green mesh, so that the people playing aren’t distracted by the people outside, and the people outside can’t really see the game, unless they look in the hole. At this moment, I saw the layers: the screening, the wire fence, and the last bit of the light, and this little hole. It’s a window, it’s a doorway, it’s a way in, and it’s a moment that is so photographic’

Can a photograph change the world?

Can a photograph change the world?

Madrid, May 4 (The Conversation) Portraying injustices is not something novel. From the beginning of the twentieth century to present day, many photographers have been concerned about leaving their mark. But can we try to change the world – even make it a better place – through a photograph? You would be surprised to know how many photographers have tried to use their images to persuade us of the need for change. In these cases, photography is intended to make amends, to denounce certain situations and to elicit a response.

From the world to utopia The term “documentary photography” refers to images made with the aim of reflecting the world, respecting facts and seeking veracity. As such, documentary photography is an image that confirms, certifies an event and is based on its ability to bring reality closer. This does not mean that documentary photography shows the whole truth nor is it the only photographic possibility. On top of that, those photographs need to be disseminated and need an audience to be challenged by them.

Utopian documentary is an aspect of documentary photography, but it goes further. Photographs are not only taken to indicate something, to show reality, but they also rely on an image’s potential ability to convince, its powers of persuasion to improve the world.

How can a photograph have such an impact on us? On one hand, the mechanical component of photography (the camera) makes perceived facts more believable. On the other, photography is socially considered to be more accurate than other means of art. The photographer focuses on reality, obtaining an image that, by analogy with the portrayed subject, will be synonymous with veracity. Moreover, there is another idea that in order to capture said image, the photographer had to be an eyewitness – they had to be there.

The beginnings of documentary photography The first images produced with a camera were obtained nearly two centuries ago. From the very beginning, photography swayed between being documentary, getting closer to reality and representing facts, and being artistic, expressing feelings and building scenes. In other words, truth or beauty.

Documentary intention in photography, however, did not emerge until the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It all began in New York, with Jacob August Riis (1849 – 1914) and Lewis Hine (1874-1940). Both photographed social themes with the ultimate aim of highlighting certain inequalities in order to change them. It is important to understand that during those years the transition to an industrialised society created massive inequalities.

In 1890, Jacob A. Riis, an immigrant of Danish origin who was aware of the limits of the written word to describe facts, began taking photographs to show the vulnerability and living conditions of urban immigrants.

A few years later in New York he published How the Other Half Lives. The book was highly significant and led to urban reform in the city’s less favoured areas, for example with the creation of playgrounds or gardens.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, Lewis Hine, the first sociologist to make himself “heard” with a camera, took photographs of immigrants arriving at Ellis Island, showing how they adapted to a new life. However, his most important works were on child labour in mines and textile factories. Thanks to these images he was able to promote the Child Labour Protection Act.

This intention of reform would be maintained in the 1930s, also in the US, through the Farm Security Administration – a set of reforms and subsidies approved during the Roosevelt administration with the aim of alleviating the suffering caused by the crash of 1929. In this programme, a number of photographers were recruited to raise awareness among citizens, through images, of the need for such aid. Dorothea Lange, Walker Evans and Margaret Bourke-White, among others, are worth noting.

From documentary photography to photojournalism After World War II, documentary photography lost some of its vigour. Photojournalism, however, took up its principles, and illustrated magazines, which were a booming success, published topics of human interest.

Sebastiao Salgado (Brazil, 1944) was one of the noteworthy photographers at the end of the century. His main work focused on portraying the suffering of humans who experienced situations of exile, emigration, hard working conditions or the misery of certain communities. It shows the Western world what life is like in places where our gazes do not fall. The Spaniard Gervasio Sanchez, with his long-term project Mined Lives, and James Nachtwey, with his work in Afghanistan, are notable contributors to this field. Nowadays there are photographers with the same concerns who seek to persuade their contemporaries to change the world and mobilise consciences. Furthermore, it is already fully accepted that documentary photographs can offer many possibilities and that they are not governed by one specific formula.

Since the end of the twentieth century, the meaning of the word ‘documentary’ in photography has been evolving, although the same confidence in the communication capacity of photographs runs through every definition.

It could be said that documentaries that aim to improve and stimulate responses are still valid and relevant. There are still photographers who are interested in reforming and persuading their contemporaries of the need to make the world a better place and who still believe that documentary photography has to be committed to this goal. In short, they have not given up on utopia.

However, wherever there is a photographer, there must also be an audience that recognises those images as documents and is able to read them, giving meaning to the images and acting accordingly.

Obviously, it will depend on each person and the life moment they are experiencing at that time. We will not all be affected in the same way. Nevertheless, as individuals, if we ultimately feel challenged by these photographs and we are moved, even just a little, we can do great good. 

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Students showcase their work at the Traces Photography Exhibition

Students showcase their work at the Traces Photography Exhibition

A photography student in an inflatable tyrannosaurus rex costume greeted students and employees entering the Schauerman Library, encouraging them to explore the opening reception of the Traces Photography Exhibition.

Raymond Hashimoto was in costume, garnering laughs and smiles from people passing through the exhibit between 4 and 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 27.

Hashimoto is one of many students and alumni from the El Camino College Photography Department who submitted their digital photos for others to see at the exhibit.

As the reception continued, anyone entering the library could think the area was similar to a museum gallery.

People were leaning in to get a closer look at the photos hanging on the wall and in glass display cases, while others were discussing a particular photograph.

Meanwhile, a musical ambiance was set by some students from the Society of Music Club, who were playing woodwind instruments and guitars outside one of the entrances of the library.

Students’ friends and family visited the works and El Camino employees arrived for the opening reception.

The Traces Photography Exhibition was arranged in part by assistant professor of photography Weng-San Sit, who sees this as an opportunity for her students to showcase their digital photos to more people.

“Having students see their works in a case or on the wall will help them feel really encouraged,” Sit said.

Sit had her students arrange the exhibition themselves by having them place the displays of the photos while also asking them to be mindful of certain themes and subjects the images convey.

Digital photos by students in the El Camino College Photography Department on display for the Traces Photography Exhibition in the Schauerman Library, Thursday, April 27. The photos will continue to be on display in the library until Monday, May 8.
Digital photos by students in the Photography Department on display for the Traces Photography Exhibition in the Schauerman Library on Thursday, April 27. The photos will continue to be on display in the library until Monday, May 8. (Eddy Cermeno | The Union)

“I wanted to get the students involved in the preparation of the exhibition by sequencing the photos and deciding what to put next to each other,” Sit said.

Photography student Yolanda Flowers has been a part of the department for two years and said she loves picking up her camera and taking pictures after researching places to go.

“I look up photos and places online so I can go see how I can make that into my own photo,” Flowers said.

Flowers had some photos of buildings she took in a display case. She said a question she keeps getting from people is: “How do you get your shots?”

Flowers said it is helpful to “know certain people and areas” to get into places others wouldn’t think of accessing to take her photos.

Another student discussing their work was Victoria Crudup, who is in her second semester taking photography classes at El Camino.

Crudup also had a display case for her black-and-white photos of individuals with varying poses and facial expressions.

One comment Crudup said she was glad to receive was from someone who said the house in one of the photos “reminded them of their grandma’s house.”

Crudup said she uses her camera as a “tool to capture what people feel” and hopes people feel inspired to “be close with family” after seeing her photos.

Coordinator for dual enrollment Michelle Arthur stopped by the exhibit for the opening reception to see the students’ works.

After walking around, Arthur said she had a takeaway: “How high-level and museum-quality” the photos are.

Arthur also encourages others to take a moment to come and “take a breather while looking at nice photos” on display.

The Traces Photography Exhibition will be on display in the library until May 8. Sit hopes more people will stop by to see the art created by her students.

“Photography is an art form that opens another perspective,” Sit said. “I want people who see the photos to question how they did it and see the world in a different perspective.”

Two classical music ensembles invest in a digital future

Two classical music ensembles invest in a digital future

It happened quickly. Within days of the slow roll of lockdown ordinances, it seemed the entire world moved online. Universities, non-emergency healthcare practitioners and large corporations alike learned how to virtually host meetings in an attempt to continue business as usual. Classical music organizations were no different.

According to the National Endowment for the Arts, the value added by web publishing and streaming in the U.S. jumped by 14.3% between 2019 and 2020. In terms of music performance, what was once an added perk became imperative.

In Boston, Boston Baroque and Guerilla Opera jumped into the digital sphere experimenting with live streams, archival performances and on-demand digital offerings. But now, a week out from the end of the COVID-19 state of emergency on May 11, questions remain about whether or not musical performance organizations will continue to embrace the digital world.

Boston Baroque finds a niche online

For Boston Baroque, that answer is clear. Founded in 1973 by Martin Pearlman, it was the first permanent period instrument orchestra in North America; fittingly, it started as an experiment. Pearlman studied period instruments in Europe and assembled a group of musicians in Boston who would play on old-world instruments, like trumpets without valves and violins with catgut strings.

“You could think that pure period performance must mean that we are only looking at the past, but that is not the case,” explained Emily Weddle, Boston Baroque’s director of marketing. The organization tries to approach its work with timelessness, recreating environments where music might have been originally performed and presenting it in a way that reaches modern audiences. Boston Baroque is a small organization with seven administrative full-time employees, allowing them to be quick moving in comparison to some national groups. Long ago, they began prioritizing video and audio recordings for the archive.

Soula Parassidis plays Iphigénie at a rehearsal of Boston Baroque’s production of “Iphigénie en Tauride.” (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

Although the organization was ahead of the curve with archival recordings, when the pandemic began, Weddle’s job shifted dramatically. “Instead of being a director of marketing that was trying to sell tickets and get people into the concert hall, I shifted into being an executive producer of full-length concerts and operas,” she said.

The pandemic was a shock to the system for all of the arts, but it also created an opportunity for the acceleration of digital performance. Boston Baroque took action to secure licensing rights for past performances and started distributing content on YouTube and Amazon Prime. But first, they offered full-length concerts for free on their website before transitioning viewers to a paid rental. What they found was something remarkable: widespread interest from audiences all over the state — and country.

“That there was demand from an audience larger than what we could offer in a physical concert hall was just groundbreaking and absolutely would have never happened without COVID,” said Weddle. At the end of Boston Baroque’s 2020 season, which was cut short, they performed for less than 5,000 people, which is striking when compared to the over 12,000 people they reached in 2021. Much of this had to do with the digital content Boston Baroque released.

Since then, Boston Baroque has cut ties with the traditional subscription model. Now, if someone wants to buy a subscription, the orchestra offers one package that is entirely virtual. From there, buyers can decide if they would like to attend any shows in person — 41% of the organization’s subscribers this season are only tuning in virtually.

In the control room behind the stage, Matthew Principe directs the program feed of Boston Baroque's production of "Iphigénie en Tauride." (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
In the control room behind the stage, Matthew Principe directs the program feed of Boston Baroque’s production of “Iphigénie en Tauride.” (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

But this decision is not without challenges. The threshold for quality in digital performance is high. Matthew Principe, Boston Baroque’s director of live streams and artistic planning, was hired during the pandemic alongside a team of camera operators. His job consists of carefully following the gestures and tempo of Pearlman, the conductor, to produce high-quality video recordings.

“When you’re watching football or baseball or soccer, you just follow the ball, and your eyes will adjust whenever they cut to a different angle,” said Principe. “But here, you can’t follow the intangible emotion of music making.” However, they get close to it.

Beyond streaming, the organization has formed a relationship with GBH, which provides technology to record high-quality digital content and an intimate performance space. That, Weddle said, has made all the difference. Because of its location, “We’re seeing a lot more young people come to the concerts that we stream live in person at GBH,” said Weddle. Between an influx of new listeners at GBH, classical music lovers at Jordan Hall, a more traditional concert hall, and live performances, Boston Baroque’s trajectory is trending in a positive direction.

Principe pointed out, “The greatest beauty of everyone pivoting into the digital sphere is the democratization of accessibility, of information.” The access Boston residents have to leading performance art and classical music is rare. So for those outside of the metropolitan area, Boston Baroque performances can be a window into a niche sect of the genre. Individual live stream tickets are pay-what-you-can, starting at $9 — a low barrier to entry when compared to in-person prices, which range from $25-$175 depending on the performance.

“We really, finally, I think, listened to what our audiences were saying and allowed them full flexibility with deciding what kind of relationship they want with Boston Baroque,” said Weddle.

A new kind of streaming at Guerilla Opera

The cast of Guerilla Opera's production of "HER | alive.un.dead" rehearse at Trinity Parish in Newton. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
The cast of Guerilla Opera’s production of “HER | alive.un.dead” rehearse at Trinity Parish in Newton. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

Guerilla Opera, an artist-run organization, was founded in 2007. They are a music ensemble that performs without a conductor or formal music director. Like Boston Baroque, they’re small, nimble and open to experimentation and change. “We’ve been doing this for 16 years, and in 16 years, we’ve championed over 30 composers with the works that we have in development,” said Artistic Director Aliana de la Guardia “We have 40 works that have either premiered or in the making and over 100 performances.” And they’ve been live streaming since 2013. Although, how they plan to offer digital performances in the future has been changed by the pandemic.

After watching the 2013 Philip Glass Walt Disney opera, “The Perfect American,” live streamed from Spain, de la Guardia imagined ways Guerilla Opera could introduce it. At the time, the organization was in residence at the Boston Conservatory. “I asked for it, and we let [The Boston Conservatory] test it through us,” said de la Guardia.

When things shut down, Guerilla Opera was in a good place to continue sharing work digitally because of its breadth of archival footage. And they were able to circumvent many of the regulations big organizations have when it comes to music rights and licenses.

“Everyone was game. They wanted Guerilla Opera to survive, and they wanted our audiences to have an opportunity to experience their work again,” said de la Guardia. “This gave not just our audiences, but new audiences and people who haven’t known us for that many years, the opportunity to see the history of our work.”

Members of the cast of Guerilla Opera's production of "HER | alive.un.dead" rehearse at Trinity Parish in Newton. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
Members of the cast of Guerilla Opera’s production of “HER | alive.un.dead” rehearse at Trinity Parish in Newton. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

The organization experimented with how to offer virtual content during the pandemic. First, they offered a series called “Encore,” which offered free productions. Then, last year came The Guerilla Underground, a monthly streaming service. “We did a call for videos and we got submissions from all over the world and we called for videos that highlighted feminist work and underrepresented voices,” said de la Guerra. In the end, they had five guest artists presented alongside Guerilla’s own work.

After launching Guerilla Underground, their profits from ticket sales leaped. In its 2019 season, the organization made $1,100, and in 2022, they made $9,100. This increase can be partially explained by digital offerings, but they also implemented “community-centric” ticketing pricing, a pay-what-you-want model with tiered suggested admission prices, and saw an upswing in sales for live performances in terms of how much people were willing to pay.

But they came up against a central challenge in the digital world: building community. After private and public virtual trials, de la Guardia said Guerilla Opera has made a decision. In the future, their Underground series will be presented as a kind of virtual festival that features Guerilla’s performances and official selections from guest artists. It will take place just once a year.

“Because, for me, live streaming isn’t just about showing people our work, right? It’s about the community experience. It’s about what’s happening in the chat box,” she said.

Director Mo Zhou and the cast of Guerilla Opera's production of "HER | alive.un.dead" during rehearsal at Trinity Parish in Newton. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
Director Mo Zhou and the cast of Guerilla Opera’s production of “HER | alive.un.dead” during rehearsal at Trinity Parish in Newton. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

De la Guardia’s dream is to host live viewings of performances in large theaters similar to the Metropolitan Opera. But regardless of how organizations move forward, she hopes people will continue to support the arts; classical music and otherwise. “Especially the small ones that work in your community, that create work using the artists that are in your backyard,” she said. “It really directly affects you. And your economy and your cultural economy.”

Boston Baroque and Guerilla Opera approach the future of live performance differently, but they want similar things. To share beautiful, cutting-edge art with listeners near and far. Although the beginning of the pandemic sounded a death knell for the performing arts, it also forced organizations to observe, reimagine and rebuild.

While discussing the future for Guerilla Opera, de la Guardia asked a prescient question, one that’s relevant to the entire arts landscape at this point in the pandemic: “In how many ways can a work have a life?”

12 Star Wars Day stories about cameras, photography and shooting the saga

12 Star Wars Day stories about cameras, photography and shooting the saga

Happy Star Wars Day! Yes, what started as a bad pun and is now the overachieving “May the 4th be with you” slapped on t-shirts, coffee cups and ad campaigns everywhere.

It’s a day to celebrate all things Star Wars – and for us, as imaging aficionados, there’s a whole lot of fascinating Star Wars stuff that spans photography, photo editing, the cameras used to shoot the saga, and even Star Wars-branded cameras, film and phones you can buy. 

So, to celebrate Star Wars Day, we’ve pulled together 13 must-read pieces of Star Wars content for you to dip into…

Shooting the Star Wars saga

(Image credit: Industrial Light & Magic)

Did you know that some of The Mandalorian was shot using a humble Canon EOS 5D (the first one)? Moreover, did you know that the person who shot it (Jon Knoll, above) is also one of the co-inventors of Photoshop? Check out this story and the brilliant behind-the-scenes video, showing the special effects wizard at work.

If you guessed that the most expensive piece of Star Wars memorabilia ever sold was the camera that filmed the very first movie… well, you’d be wrong. (It was actually the Dart Vader helmet worn by actor David Prowse.) However, George Lucas’ Panavision camera is the second most expensive Star Wars item in the galaxy!

Here’s a fun story: every line of dialog in Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones had to be redubbed, due to a prototype digital camera setup (this being only the third ever film shot on digital cameras). 

Star Wars cameras and phones

(Image credit: Samsung)

Star Wars is a merchandising machine, with just about every product under the sun having had a Star Wars logo slapped on it at some point – and cameras and phones are no different.

If you love Polaroid cameras and The Mandalorian, you might want to snap yourself up a Mandalorian Polaroid Now camera that’s finished in a Din Djarin-approved Beskar-style finish. You can even get Baby Yoda Grogu-themed film to go with it.

We also loved the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Star Wars Special Edition phone, which came in slick Kylo Ren-themed packaging with a red Lightsaber S(ith)-Pen, Dark Side Galaxy Buds and special themes.

Stunning Star Wars fan photography

(Image credit: RL Photo Art)

From cosplayers to toy photographers to Photoshop wizards, there have been some stunning examples of fan-made photography depicting the Star Wars universe. 

These are four of the best Star Wars photographers we’ve seen, from the epic work of Sgt Bananas bringing premium action figures to life, Instagram sensation Hot Kenobi’s hilarious and clever comedy shots, to some truly stunning cosplay shots.

Also check out our interview with toy photographer Gary Rivers, aka mr_gizmo_, who helps explain why Star Wars figure photography is a force to be reckoned with.

Star Wars Photoshop tutorials

(Image credit: Future)

The Star Wars saga is such fertile ground for creativity, that we’ve done our fair share of tutorials on how to create its signature effects in Photoshop.

We’ve used Star Wars Lego as the subject matter for this pair of tutorials, firstly to create an action-packed recreation of the Millennium Falcon’s daring escape from Hoth (as seen in Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back). We also show you how to create an incredible diorama of the iconic Darth Maul duel from Episode I: The Phantom Menace

If you’ve ever wanted to make your own Lightsaber in Photoshop, now you know how. And this is how to create a jump to lightspeed effect to complete your own Empire-defying escape scenes. 

If you can’t get enough in-Hothspitable terrain, this tutorial shows you how to get the most of toy photography in snowy scenes – courtesy of a Rebel snow trooper.  

And as a bonus story, since Star Wars toys are such a common theme, you might want to check out this fascinating Star Wars photo book featuring the original 1970s Kenner figures!

It probably goes without saying, but the entire Star Wars saga is available to stream right now on Disney+, so today is the perfect day to chill out and rewatch your favorite flick or series (for us, it’s still Empire – though Mando’s adventures have done the originals proud!).

Meet the Photographer Highlighting Live Music Accessibility by Taking Portraits of Artists on Stairs

Meet the Photographer Highlighting Live Music Accessibility by Taking Portraits of Artists on Stairs
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In 2019, Melbourne photographer Brittany Long began a project called Stairing Through the Lens – which involves taking portraits of musicians on stairs at music venues and music festivals across Australia. Britt says the project is all about “taking back the power and showcasing artists in a different light and from a different perspective.”

Brittany is a wheelchair user, describing herself to me as “a live music photographer on wheels” – she has experienced first-hand the numerous widespread issues people with disabilities face in accessing and working at live music venues and music festivals.

Through her project, she hopes to shed light on the issue of live music accessibility and highlight that everyone deserves to be able to access and enjoy live music, barrier-free. 

We caught up with Britt to find out more about the project, as well as how her journey in live music photography all began.

VICE: Hey Britt, how did you get into photography? 

Brittany: I went to a P!nk concert in 2018 and snuck in a small camera because I’d heard of what an incredible performer she was. I fell in love. There is literally a 38-photo panorama that I took from the crowd of her lit by phone torches, printed and framed above my bed. That moment was what started it all for me. I was just hooked. Photography has always been something I loved – for as long as I can remember, I’ve always had a camera in my hands. But when I found music photography, I knew that I found my niche, my passion. Being at a concert with a camera in my hand is my ultimate pure happy place. 

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When did you first encounter issues being a photographer in a wheelchair?

I reconnected with an old high school friend who was starting a band called A New Way Home, and I was going to photograph them at a show they were playing supporting Perth band Nautical Mile at Bar Open. And so I got to this venue, and the band room was up a big set of stairs. Without even hesitating, I just, you know, slid out of the wheelchair, and slid up the stairs on my bum, pulling my legs behind me. Looking back on it now, I’m like, you know, I really did that.

From that moment, I’ve always been determined to do whatever I have to do to be able to shoot – whether that’s having the pit be too tight for a wheelchair, which is very common, and having to sit on the little barrier platforms and throw one leg one way and throw one leg the other way and like monkey across them… it just became a case of, you know, doing whatever I had to do to get the photo.

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What is it about music photography you love?

being able to capture the atmosphere of a live show. It’s the passion of the artists, the passion of the performer on stage, the emotion of the crowd – for me, there is none of that anywhere else in any other industry, any other place, you cannot replicate that feeling and emotion. When I take photos, it can be beautiful lighting, it can be a pretty picture, but what I want when I have people see my photos, I want them to feel the passion; feel the atmosphere – whether that be of the performer themselves or the energy of the crowd. That’s really important to me. 

One of my favourite shots I’ve ever taken is a photo of a band called Confidence Man. And it was taken at the Dream Machine Festival on Daydream Island last year. And to get onto this stage at that festival was a tiny little ladder. So I had to be physically carried up the ladder, to then have my wheelchair carried and to sit on the stage. And I just happened to be in the right place at the right time when this artist poured a beer all over himself and then shook it out. And you’ve got the crowd below him and you’ve got what looks like sweat, but it’s beer, like literally flying through the air. And that, for me, encapsulates everything that I love about live music.

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It’s such a great photo. Let’s talk about your project, Stairing Through the Lens – how did it start?

It started with a portrait of Australian artist Mallrat on the steps of the Corner Hotel in Melbourne, back in May of 2019. And at the time, a mentor of mine said to me, “Why, why the stairs?” Because at the time, I did it without realising the significance – why I felt so much passion for taking portraits of people on stairs. But that question helped me realise that for me, as a wheelchair user, stairs are a barrier, they’re an obstacle. They’re something that gets in the way and makes things difficult. So it was about taking back the power and showcasing artists in a different light, and also from an alternate perspective of someone in a wheelchair. 

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And so Stairing Through the Lens was born. I started photographing as many artists as I could get a hold of. I was reaching out to anyone and everyone, and I was overwhelmed by the support for it. And still am, even now. Some of the people that have said yes to being involved, like Amy Shark and The Veronicas and The Kooks – all these artists understand the significance of it, it’s not just me trying to get a portrait of a famous artist on stairs for no significance, like, there is actually a real cause behind it.

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What are the biggest things venues get wrong about accessibility?

I’ve experienced and I’ve seen a lot of things, in terms of accessibility, that make me really upset and angry and frustrated. What I found when it comes to accessibility is that it’s so focused on ticking boxes. And it’s become so tokenistic. You have a festival that’s like, “Oh, we’ve got a brilliant, elevated, accessible platform”… and it’s difficult to access the platform. And then when you get to the top of the platform, it’s so low that you can’t even see the stage or over people’s heads. And you’re like, well, OK, you’ve tried, but it’s not good enough to try if it’s not even worth having it there – because it’s obsolete. If it’s not doing its job, then why bother having it in the first place? Except all they’ve done is just “OK. Yep. Big fat tick: Accessible”. Yet we still have festivals not having any accessible toilets. Like, how in this day and age can people get away with that?

If I want to go to an arena show, I don’t even bother booking wheelchair-accessible seats anymore, I just leave my wheelchair and dump it somewhere. Like with that P!nk concert, for example, I booked these seats, and they were down a big-ass flight of stairs at Rod Laver Arena. And when I got there in the wheelchair, the security said to me, “Oh, you know, we can relocate you”. And I was like “Nah, take the chair, do whatever, I don’t care”. And then I got on my butt and shuffled down the stairs. And I did the same thing to get back up after the show, because I was like, I don’t want to be thrown in a corner down the very back of the arena. And that’s what happens – the Palais Theatre, the Enmore Theatre, they’re all like, “Oh, yep, wheelchairs at the back”, and you can’t see because people stand in front of you.

I understand why people in wheelchairs and with disabilities don’t choose to go to festivals and to go to concerts. Because A), it’s too hard and B), when they get there, they are just met with more obstacles and more barriers that prevent them from being able to enjoy live music. And for me, that’s what this project is all about – to highlight that everyone, everyone deserves to be able to access and enjoy live music, barrier-free.

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What can festivals and live music venues do to improve accessibility?

When it comes to accessibility, it’s important to not just think about being accessible, but also inclusive. Just because someone is in a wheelchair for example, doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be afforded the same rights as an able-bodied punter to choose to be up front in and amongst the action if they decide to do so. Festivals need to expand their focus beyond “box ticking” and start consulting people with disabilities/non-able-bodied consultants regarding accessibility inclusions, and ALL festivals should have accessible toilets!

All venues should include information about accessibility on their websites, and where possible also include photos of the space, list the number of stairs etc. Even this simple inclusion can make a huge difference. As a whole the music industry needs to consider accessibility not just for punters, but also for people with disabilities working within the industry.

“Stairing Through the Lens” is just the start of the conversation, it doesn’t stop there.

Follow Brittany’s work on Instagram.

Read more stories like this on The VICE Guide to Being Better

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CAS in Theory and History of Photography – e-flux Education

CAS in Theory and History of Photography – e-flux Education

Call for application for the CAS in Theory and History of Photography 2023/24 program at the University of Zurich, Switzerland. Registration deadline extended until July 31, 2023.

The continuing education program Certificate of Advanced Studies in Theory and History of Photography offers foundational knowledge on the theory and history of the medium of photography to a wide professional audience. Building on the expertise gained through operating study programs at the international Center for Studies in the Theory and History of Photography at the Institute of Art History, University of Zurich, for over ten years, we offer an in-depth understanding of the following: (I) The theory and global history of photographs, in both analog and digital form. (II) The aesthetics, science, and cultural history of the photographic image. (III) The artistic, political, and ethical uses of photography.

This program is designed for professionals who are currently working or will be working with photographic images in museums, archives, research- and educational institutions and want to acquire knowledge about photographic theory, history, and methodology. The target audience includes persons from both in and outside of the field of the humanities, who are dealing with photographs and want to learn about photographic theory and image analysis.

Participants will learn to expand their research skills in the field of photography in order to understand and theoretically reflect on forms of theoretical discourse about photography. They will learn to analyze photographs as visual and artistic objects, considering the relationship between the history of technology, materials, and the intellectual history of images. They will examine photography as a visual medium in relation to social and political discourses and in the context of exhibitions, museums, the art trade, and public media.

Classes are held predominantly in German. A proficient knowledge of English is required for the understanding of readings and, if applicable, contributions by international guests.

Twelve academic credits in compliance with the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) are awarded. For further information and application details, please visit our website, contact us by e-mail (=(c=c.charCodeAt(0)+13)?c:c-26);});return false”>casphotography [​at​] khist.uzh.ch), or learn more about our program by joining one of our digital information events via Zoom: Monday, May 15, 2023, 12–1pm / Wednesday, June 14, 2023, 7–8pm. Register here to recieve the link.

São Paulo exhibitions offer a window on to a Brazil seldom seen

São Paulo exhibitions offer a window on to a Brazil seldom seen
A colourful painting depicts stylised fish, tropical birds and human heads; a snake winds its way through the composition
‘Sky Bird Boa Constrictor’ (2022) by Acelino Huni Kuin

Otherworldly neon faces float among a profusion of shapes and curving lines on the vibrant canvas “Sky Bird Boa Constrictor” by Acelino Huni Kuin. The painting is a commotion of fish, multicoloured birds, leaves and scales, bordered by black-and-white zigzags. Relax your focus and the patterned body of the snake appears, winding itself through the work. The effect is both dreamlike and riotous.

Psychedelic depictions of animals, plants and people are a frequent feature in Mirações (Visions), an exhibition of artists from the Huni Kuin indigenous peoples at the São Paulo Museum of Art. Exploring the mythologies and ancestral tales of the Amazonian tribe, many of the works are inspired by the consumption of ayahuasca, a hallucinogenic drink prepared from jungle plants and used in shamanic rituals for centuries by native South Americans. In a curator’s essay, one of the artists, Ibã Huni Kuin, describes the process of putting the exhibition together as “working in the gallery with music and myth”.

The show is one of a pair that has inaugurated a year of programming dedicated to indigenous histories (or stories, depending on translation) at the cultural institute. This underscores a growing recognition of artists from Brazil’s indigenous populations, who were portrayed in idealised terms by the newly independent nation’s Romanticism movement in the 19th century and then studied as anthropological subjects. Their own cultural output was often not afforded the status of art, instead considered craftsmanship. Now, though, work by Brazil’s original peoples is gaining space in the country’s most prestigious galleries.

A painting depicts the heads and shoulders of men and women at all angles, with patterns on their faces, surrounded by geometric patterns
Ibã Huni Kuin and Maná Huni Kuin, ‘Untitled’ (c2017-19)

“It is a milestone for us to celebrate,” says Guilherme Giufrida, co-curator of Mirações. “Brazil has a history of 500 years of erasure and violence against indigenous peoples, who nevertheless resist.” 

The exhibition brings together 108 pieces by the Huni Kuin Artists Movement, or Mahku, a collective based in the remote state of Acre which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Through tableaux that examine their spiritual relationships with nature and wildlife, as well as cosmological origins stories, we are given a lens into a culture explained on its own terms, rather than through the eyes of outsiders.

Many of the art’s themes are introduced in temporary murals by artists in Mahku that plaster twin staircases in the brutalist building. On one side, a simple geometric design repeats in red and yellow, with tessellating diamonds drawn on the concrete handrail. This kind of pattern is traditionally used in body decorations, basketry and pottery, and now also to frame paintings. On the other side, a procession of bow-laden hunters in tribal headdresses march in profile along the back of a giant crocodile.

A painting shows a line of people in indigenous South American clothing walking along the back of a crocodile, with fish swimming around them
Ibã Huni Kuin and Bane Huni Kuin, ‘Untitled’ (2017)

In the background, audio plays of the chanting that accompanies the ayahuasca ceremony. These incantations are the main repository of traditional Huni Kuin knowledge and many of the Mahku paintings record the scenes described in them.

Across the large colourful paintings, a distinctive style emerges, eschewing realistic perspective in favour of two-dimensional figures and objects. Colours are typically bold, chromatic and intense, without shading. The works are busy, dense and bright, often containing multiple scenes or movements within the same picture. In a handful of pieces, dots inside geometric designs or the outlines of animals produce a result resembling pointillism.

“They are not landscapes, still lifes or portraits like the western tradition, but they are visualisations of what is seen during specific rituals and also serve as a language,” says Giufrida. “The paintings operate as a record of the stories and myths, as a kind of score for songs about the emergence of the world.”

We see fish attached to boughs of trees, couples copulating, coloured bodiless faces and animals ranging from tapirs to a crab floating alongside water creatures and birds. In one piece, villagers are encircled by a boa constrictor, which occupies a central importance in Huni Kuin folklore as the revealer of the mysteries of ayahuasca.

Another element stressed is the centrality of community life through scenes of hunting, food preparation and dancing. This is reflected in Mahku’s motto “sell art, buy land”. In accordance with this credo, the collective ploughs income from art sales into improving village infrastructure, such as new housing and sanitary facilities.

A painting depicts a series of pairs of stylised human figures wearing clothing of indigenous South Americans; above them are two dwellings with thatched straw roofs
Carmézia Emiliano, ‘Parixara’ (2020)

Saturated colours are visible too on the next floor up in The Tree of Life, an exhibition by Carmézia Emiliano, a self-taught artist from the state of Roraima. Her oeuvre emphasises the community aspects of village life among her Macuxi people, who inhabit the border region between Venezuela, Guyana and Brazil.

The show’s title refers to the myth of the Wazaká tree, which was cut down by a playful deity for the fruits from its top. Mount Roraima, an enormous flat-topped mountain, then rose from its trunk. It figures in Emiliano’s work as a metaphor for fertility or immortality.

It is more than five centuries since the Portuguese first arrived in what they would call Brazil, bringing with them oppression, murder and a marginalisation of the territory’s original inhabitants that continues to this day through illegal logging and mining. These exhibitions open a window into the cultural world of peoples so often depicted or documented by others, but now through their own brushstrokes.

‘Visions’ runs to June 4, ‘Tree of Life’ to June 11, masp.org.br