Twelve emerging New York City artists participated in "Open Call: Portals," a free visual art exhibition at The Shed. The program alternates annually between live performances and visual arts, offering early-career artists a platform to showcase innovative work. Curator Dejá Belardo emphasizes the importance of supporting artists financially. Belardo noticed shared themes among selected artists, such as spirituality, colonialism, and migration, highlighting a common exploration of identity and belonging through their works, including Zain Alam's audiovisual installation focusing on time in Muslim life.
"I like to see artists as people first, so it's important to ensure they're setting aside funds from the budget not only for the creation of new work, but also to sustain themselves as artists."
"During the selection process and studio visits, common themes like spirituality, colonialism, and migration kept surfacing. The portal is an entry point into the overlapping experiences of identity and belonging."
Collection
[
|
...
]