Exhibition Runs: March 8 – April 15, 2021 | Virtual Artist Talk: Thursday, March 25 @ 5:30pm
The Chimera Manifesto
The Covid-19 pandemic has unveiled some of the deep, bare roots of interconnectedness between organisms. As humans, we are reminded of our porosity; we are made of membranes that can be passed through. We are made of molecules that speak the same language across species of any type and size. We are made of the memories of who came before us, and all their contaminations. How many among our ancestors were microbes? How many birds were my great grandmothers when we acknowledge the shared flu virus genetics?
During this time, I started dreaming of chimeras as violence and kinship. The chimera, a mythological body that puts together different parts of diverse species, allows for new hybrids, intersections and contacts, rather than separation and categorization.
The Chimera Manifesto is an expanding project that pivots between scientific data, fabulative imagining and poetic writing on hybridization to rethink and connect with the more-than-human.
“My practice investigates the relationships formed by humans, nature, and technology. Exploring liminal spaces between disciplines, media, and languages, I create installations that incorporate visual, sculptural, and time-based art. While in dialogue with biology and computer science – this research narrates stories that question the current ecological crisis. I foster engagement through embodied storytelling: the body becomes a tool through which stories and ideas are activated, a space for generating different views of extinction and cohabitation.” – Viola Arduini
Virtual Artist Talk & Reception
On Thursday, March 25th we held a virtual reception and artists talks on Zoom. Please use the link below to view the recording of Viola’s talk.
By Appointment Hours*
This exhibition is installed in our gallery as planned and is accessible to the public by appointment for up to 2 people at a time. All visitors must wear a face mask, practice social distancing, and comply with all safety guidelines set forth by the CDC.
*Given the extraordinary time, all componets of the exhibition are subject to change.
The Chimera Manifesto
About Viola
Viola Arduini is an Italian, interdisciplinary artist currently based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In her work, she investigates the relationships formed by humans, nature, and technology
Arduini received a Bachelor of Arts from NABA New Academy of Fine Arts, Milano, Italy in 2010 and a Master of Arts in Documentary Photography from University of South Wales, Newport, UK in 2015. She recently received a Master of Fine Arts in Art & Ecology from the University of New Mexico. She has exhibited in solo shows and her work has been included in group exhibitions in the US and Europe, including Santa Fe Art Institute (NM), Ffotogallery in Cardiff (UK), and Centrale Fotografia (IT). She has received numerous grants and scholarships, such as the Maryann Evans Scholarship for Graduate Students in Art Studio.
Arduini is currently Education and Outreach Coordinator for 516 ARTS in Albuquerque, NM.
