Some-where | No-where, You Can Live in Paradise

International Cultural Exchange – Barbados

May 4 – 9, 2011

(Miami, Florida) Feb. 1^st - Wednesday May 4th to Monday May 9th, Queen’s Park Gallery, Queen’s Park, Bridgetown, St. Michael, Barbados will be hosting an International Cultural Exchange (ICE), in association with The National Cultural Foundation (NCF), The Arts Council England and Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator of Miami, Florida. This is a unique experience, in which artists from diverse backgrounds, working in various media, converge to explore the concept of 'cultural diaspora', intellectually, and creatively.  This is the 13th exchange organized by Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator, but is the first for Barbados, as host country.

“Some-where | No-where” You Can Live in Paradise Forever, is an exhibition curated by Rosie Gordon-Wallace in Miami and is made possible with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council, the Mayor, and the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners. 

Gordon-Wallace’s approach is embedded in the artist’s sensuality, proving that it is possible to disseminate a clearly political message without sacrificing the beauty and subtlety of the work. This action does not refer to any direct political action, it is more like an aesthetic intervention that permeates between social and private; examining the images that most travelers imagine when asked to visualize images that remind them of the Caribbean islands. Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator has worked with contemporary Caribbean artists for the past fourteen years pushing the envelope of images created in the Diaspora and the islands. However, we have not been a trendsetter in showing rich, textured and varied cultural traditions and artistic talents in celebrating these traditional images. By virtue of the concentration of this genre of work being created by artists in the South Florida area and the islands, it reinforces the importance and the need to support its creation.

The exhibition provides a unique opportunity to assess the influence of globalization on the compositions of our contemporary artists working as they do in the United States and England, an environment shaped by the intersection of multiple and different cultures. Looking at the body of work presented in this exhibition, it is possible to obtain a valuable perspective on the direction of the work of our artists in the Diaspora. Lastly, by bringing together the participating artists with audiences from the art and culture community, key government officials and Consular representatives, members of international organizations interested in this area, the exhibition creates an opportunity for a seminal dialogue on ways of appreciating work from the Caribbean and perhaps a different interpretation of placement of this work.

The artists selected to exhibit in this one-month expo have all been engaged in the dialog of what the definition of Caribbean Art is. Many of these artists were not born in the region, some have parents from the region and several are practioners of the process of "cross-fertilization in the quest for identity and certitude" described by Professor Rex Nettleford. Artists will travel from the United Kingdom, Miami, New York, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. 

This exhibition partners with Urbanflo, www.urbanflo.com a socially engaged collective of arts professionals who share a vision of equality and excellence in the cultural sector. We specialize in participatory and inclusive initiatives, offering expert advice and creative support to individuals, groups and organizations.

Artists: Alejandro Contreras, Carlos Alejandro, Jean Chiang, Danny Ramirez, Jacquenette Arnette, Wura Ogunji, Patricia Roldan, Rodney Jackson, Selina Roman, Teri Richardson, Jenni Lewin-Turner, Carol Campbell.