The 1836 Project (Extended Widescreen Edition)
The 1836 Project (Extended Widescreen Edition)
5-Channel Video Installation and Projection
1,040 square ft
2021
SUMMER INTERNATIONAL ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM
July 15 – September 5, 2021
Artpace, San Antonio, TX
The 1836 Project (Extended Widescreen Edition) digs deep into the histories of Texas to reframe conversations about race and identity. This exhibition has a timely resonance as the nation debates over the inclusion of critical race theory in schools and scholars work to dispel the myths surrounding historical figures and sites. Stylistically, this work employs vivid colors, active layering, purposeful pacing, and use of familiar cultural images that convey the colonial and racist realities of Texas history. The delivery of this art is through a five-channel video projection synchronized to play digital animations throughout the entirety of the installations’ wall space. Accompanying the visual art is a deep rhythmic soundtrack created by Menchaca to mesmerize the viewer and create a space of ambivalent contemplation, fluctuating from somber to joyful self-reflection. The exhibition title refers to the House Bill that Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed in early June called the “1836 Project” in his attempt to “promote patriotic education” by concealing Texas’ origins as a slave nation designated for white landowners. The 1836 Project was passed shortly after The New York Times published “The 1619 Project”, which placed slavery at the center of U.S. history.
Featuring Take A Look by Polly Anna, 2021
Narrated by:
AnaKaren Ortiz Varela
Kevin Menchaca
Galileo Gonzalez
