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Kurt Nahar talks about
his participation in the international cultural exchange project – ICE 2018 -
with DVCAI-team and artists in Jamaica
At the Thursday-Night-Feature (TNF) in
Readytex Art Gallery on June 7th, visual artist Kurt Nahar holds a
presentation about his recent experience in Jamaica. From April 18th
until April 27th, this Surinamese artist was invited to participate in
the international exchange project of Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator (DVCAI),
Miami, led by Rosie Gordon-Wallace, in collaboration with Edna Manley College
of the Visual and Performing Arts in Jamaica. Ever since his own time studying
at Edna Manley College, and his related artist in residence experience at DVCAI
in Miami, Kurt has enjoyed an enduring relationship with DVCAI, and with the
support of Readytex Art Gallery he was able to participate in several other
projects initiated by this organization. For many years now Rosie Gordon-Wallace
has been a valuable partner and good friend of Readytex Art Gallery with her
DVCAI platform, and as such the two organizations have already collaborated in
various art projects. This exchange project, for which DVCAI received the support of Miami-Dade
Department of Cultural Affairs, brought artists, curators, writers and cultural
workers together for an intensive project of exchange, conversations, exhibition,
studio visits and workshops with artists from the Caribbean Diaspora and beyond.
Within the exchange project, Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing
Arts in Kingston facilitated informal conversations between artists in Jamaica and
DVCAI-artists from Miami and guest artist Kurt Nahar from Suriname. The program
also included a panel discussion and an exhibition at Edna Manley College that
showed art works from the visiting artists as well as from several local
artists. The joint exhibition offered the international artists the opportunity
to work and converse with local artists, and to present their work to a diverse
group of visitors, curators and other interested parties from the Jamaican art
scene. Even though Kurt Nahar is quite familiar with
Jamaica, this recent visit together with the team of DVCAI, was a valuable
experience for the artist. Participating in such an intense program with a
mixed group of artists from various backgrounds and disciplines, is something
that Kurt Nahar believes that every artist should experience at least once. Especially
the many studio visits to interesting artists living and working in Jamaica and
the many conversations and discussions that were part thereof, were very
inspiring. In addition to the exhibition ‘Voyaging towards the future’, which
opened on April 19th, and in which Kurt Nahar presented three
artworks, Kurt also considered the studio critiques, which the visiting artists
were invited to join, an important experience during the exchange. During the studio
critiques the work of students from Edna Manley College was evaluated and
critiqued by their professors and fellow students. Within the program Kurt gave a presentation
about his work and career, and participated in the exhibition with three mixed
media artworks dealing with the theme of sexuality and the associated taboos, all
executed in his usual bold and confrontational manner. At the TNF of Thursday June 7th,
Kurt Nahar talks to visitors about his experiences during ICE 2018 with DVCAI
in Jamaica. He will highlight the moments and experiences that he considered
most valuable, and through a digital photo presentation he will take the
viewers along on his intense and interesting weeklong artistic exploration
through Jamaica. The ground floor of the gallery will also display a new
collection of artworks by Kurt Nahar, consisting mostly of mixed-media art
installations inspired by his recent journey to Jamaica.
At the TNF of
June 7th, guests are free to browse through the diverse collection
of artworks displayed throughout the rest of the gallery as well. The doors of Readytex
Art Gallery are open from 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm on this evening, and the
presentation starts at 7:30 pm. Please come enjoy this special presentation of
Kurt Nahar together with us!


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