Jamaica Flux 2016, Queens, NY - Catalogue Text
Questioning how life can be made more fulfilling, and how humanity’s collective sense of compassion and love can be made more robust lies central to artist hannes bend’s practice. At the University of Oregon, where he has been both a visiting scholar since 2014 at the Quantum and Nanoscale Physics Alemán Lab, as well as an artist-in-residence at its Institute of Neuroscience, bend has been afforded the opportunity to approach these philosophical inquiries from a scientifically empirical standpoint. With his project metaNoYa, he continues to evolve his longstanding interest in the conflation of human mindfulness and technological innovation.
_______________
Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning's Jamaica Flux: Workspaces & Windows 2016
Jamaica Flux is a large-scale exhibition of research-driven, site-specific art installed in everyday locations along Jamaica Avenue. The nineteen commissioned artists and groups include: hannes bend, Adam Brent, Aurora De Armendi, Ayana Evans, Nicholas Fraser, Samantha Holmes, Anna Lise Jensen, Sue Jeong Ka, Kakyoung Lee, Rejin Leys, Shervone Neckles, Jeffrey Allen Price, Dominique Sindayiganza, Stan Squirewell, Thiago Szmrecsanyi, Ed Woodham, and three artist collectives; Ellie Irons and Dan Phiffer, John H. Locke and Joaquin Reyes, and Lily & Honglei.
Each artist spent the last few months exploring Jamaica, Queens to create a new site-specific work for this art exhibition. The project provides the artists with resources to produce their experimental art in public realms, actively engaging with community members to increase the public’s access to contemporary art and make it an important and integral part of daily life in our neighborhood. Each artist will present their work at various sites in Downtown Jamaica, Queens. A sitemap of each location will be available at JCAL.