Despedida

Straightforwardly translating to ‘farewell’, we experience a despedida as a gathering in which we are about to send-off friends and family to somewhere far away, where we could not immediately reunite. It is often held with much care and well-wishing, yet in this case, what is the impetus that requires the need of a firm acknowledgement of departure in the perspective of thirteen artists? Despedida now becomes a malleable practice here that is not limited to expressions of mourning, potent manifestation, and of sacrificial animals.

The exhibition intends to bridge artists who have been brought together by an initial belief in a community dedicated to artistic and personal growth. Despedida is now a space created for there to be non-judgement and solidarity; a convening that allows each one to exercise care and empathy toward the sentiments, perilous experiences, and narratives of other artists that now come into light.