Locus: Art as a Disabled Space,
Art and Disability Residency Exhibition, Panel, and Reception
Featuring Ezra Benus, Jordana Bernstein, Kevin Quiles Bonilla,
Shannon Finnegan, Jeff Kasper, and Madison Zalopany
Wednesday, May 23, 2018
5:30 to 7pm - Panel Discussion with Kevin Quiles Bonilla, Shannon Finnegan,
and Madison Zalopany, moderated by Jerron Herman
7 to 9pm - Artists' Reception
Jordana Bernstein, Untitled, 2015. [Image Description: A woman with long, dark brown hair wears a face mask made up of several fabrics, thread, and yarn stitched together. The colors are inclusive of pink, dark teal, white, baby blue, black, and yellow.]
The Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation and The 8th Floor partnered with 2016 Foundation grantee Art Beyond Sight to present Locus: Art as a Disabled Space. This two-day exhibition featured works by Ezra Benus, Jordana Bernstein, Kevin Quiles Bonilla, Shannon Finnegan, Jeff Kasper, and Madison Zalopany, who all participated in Art Beyond Sight's Art & Disability Residency. The exhibition was on view May 22, 11:00am-6:00pm and Wednesday, May 23, 11am-9pm, concluding with a panel discussion and artist reception.
Locus: Art as a Disabled Space
Disabled artists posit themselves in a locus where both art and disability reach new meanings through a configuration and fluidity of imagined and real space. This is achieved through embodied art practices that are informed by disability in conceptual and formal aspects. The exhibition showcased work by artists participating in Art Beyond Sight's inaugural Art & Disability Residency, which puts disability arts as a central focus. It critiques who "belongs" and what is seen in art spaces.
Panel Discussion
In conjunction with the exhibition, panelists Kevin Quiles Bonilla, Shannon Finnegan, and Madison Zalopany, moderated by Jerron Herman, discussed how disabled artists think about space in relation to their work and practice, where their work is shown, and how this informs disability aesthetics. As disabled artists face barriers within the hierarchical sphere of contemporary art, their work is often relegated to "therapy", or more frequently, tokenized as a form of inclusion. The panel also reflected on these and other barriers disabled artists experience as they navigate social, physical, discursive, and/or conceptual space.
Accessibility
The event venue is wheelchair accessible via passenger elevator. We ask that attendees refrain from wearing fragrance. Lighting in the room is a combination of LED lighting, fluorescent light, and natural daylight. If you have any questions regarding the event, please email media@sdrubin.org.