REVIEW VISITING THAHAB: NABIL (NABEELA) VEGA NEW BEDFORD ART MUSEUM/ARTWORKS! 608 PLEASANT STREET NEW BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS THROUGH MARCH 25 by Don Wilkinson There is something particularly intriguing in one of the videos by Nabil (Nabeela) Vega, in which a figure is draped in a shimmering shroud of gold lame, their identity concealed, their face hidden. [Gender neutral pronouns are used at the request of the artist.] The cloaked figure is on a bridge over the Charles River, and the Hancock and the Prudential are clearly visible in the background. Pedestrians stroll by with barely a glance, focused runners do not slow their pace, and cars whiz by without an unnecessary beeping of the horn. It is as if seeing a golden ghost on the side of the road were the most ordinary of events. It may be a particularly Bostonian “I’ve seen it all” attitude or a practiced … [Read more...] about VISITING THAHAB: EXTRAORDINARY ORDINARINESS
transgender
Hello, World!
CHALLENGING GENDER EXPRESSION AT ARTSPACE by J. Fatima Martins New Haven, Connecticut - As expected, Artspace New Haven has presented another challenging and amusing statement exhibition. “hello, world!” is an entertaining, absurdist and intellectual mixed-media, mixed- technology exhibition featuring erotic taco eating, vaginal pillows, muscle men, battling blonde wigs, Lorde lyrics, surreal hazy interiors, a Venn Diagram of dysfunctional family dynamics, videos of an artist’s head submerged in various watery locations, photographs that were buried and retrieved, a woman covered in golden drapery and a statement about hard bones and soft tongues. The works, which range from standard two-dimensional wall hangings — paintings and prints — to film and video and a kinetic installation, are displayed in three main gallery spaces and the central hallway as well as the bathroom … [Read more...] about Hello, World!