"Poetics of Relation" Art Talk

"Poetics of Relation" co-curators, Tobias Ostrander and Tumelo Mosaka, speak with four international artists in the exhibition: Zarina Bhimji, Tony Capellán, Ledelle Moe and Xaviera Simmons. Titled after Édouard Glissant's (1928-2011) text formulating notions of identity as both rooted and multiple, "Poetics of Relation" brings together several installations evoking migrant experiences. Crossing multiple geographies and histories, as well as addressing contemporary global encounters, works in the exhibition by artists in the discussion include Zarina Bhimji's new film "Jangbar," 2015 which investigates the railroad built in Kenya at the turn of the century by Indian workers; Yto Barrada's sculpture "Twin Palm Islands," 2012 evoking the signs of old film theaters and current tourist attractions in Tangers; Tony Capellán's "Mar Caribe," 1996, a compelling installation that speaks to poverty, danger and marginalization; Ledelle Moe's, "Congregation," 2002, comprising multiple sculptures carved from the unique concrete mix of regional sands where each was made; and Xaviera Simmons', "Superunknown (Alive In The)," 2010, an installation of photographs appropriated from news sources depicting migrants crowded on boats at sea.​ "Poetics of Relation" Art Talk was held at Pérez Art Museum Miami on May 28, 2015.