New Cosmopolitanism
(Preeminence of Place in Contemporary Art) 

About the Exhibition

A New Cosmopolitanism (Preeminence of Place in Contemporary Art) features the works of 12 contemporary artists who use themes of location and memory in ways that converge to produce what might be called a new cosmopolitanism. Some of these artists have been born in other countries and use their cultural heritage to challenge viewers to reconsider traditional American icons and landscapes. Others, born in the U.S., have profited from the sophistication of contemporary global art to better focus on and understand American places. 

A certain optimism adheres to the notion of a new cosmopolitanism. It looks forward to, and tries to depict, a world much more free of the effects of imperialism, hegemonic domination and oppresion of all sorts. By means of photography, painting, installation and new media these artists allow us to witness the reshaping of a cosmopolitan American experience. Many of their works may be considered a form of what Charles Gaines, in his catalogue essay, calls “insurgent criticism” that envisions a “democratization of place” in which we can all be citizens of the world without ceasing to love our own little corner of it.

 

ARTISTS:
Michael Benedict Barnoya
Binh Danh, Alejandro Díaz
Enrique Chagoya
Wosene Worke Kosrof
Sandeep Mukherjee
Betye Saar 
Steven B. Smith
Mark Swope 
Fatimah Tuggar
Richard Turner
Saira Wasim