"Fruits of Labor" an installation of new works by Ethan Shoshan
July 9th - 30th. Opens July 9th noon."Fruits of Labor," in conjunction with a series of events, will try and merge ideas of tourism with that of colonialization, militarism, and consumption during the month of July. The installation involves a series of fabric works which can be displayed as paintings, floor installations, or wearable clothes (dependant upon space constraints). The work addresses colonialization through the use of icons of militarism/tourism and the marketing of heritage through tourist arts (the codification of sacred objects, icons, and landscapes). Through the work, I try to understand how living cultures in tourist destinations in America continue to perform their heritage to tourists and the ways in which this heritage is preserved, transformed, and marketed. Together, this body of work confronts how identities are performed in light of politics, sensibilities, and cultural practices. "Fruits of Labor" tries to bridge these ideas with that of labor relations in America, looking at a new form of leisure and leisure class and trying to evaluate it through a series of events. Throughout the course of the installation, there will be a few performances, one in particular is by a Guatemalan artist and throughout the course of the day he will be sorting through a pile of various beans and nuts and separating them into different piles. This attempts to look at the cost of labor and through the futileness of his gesture, pay attention to the way his culture has been ravaged by agricultural industry, and also paying tribute to understanding the food we take for granted and where it comes from, and the labor involved. So during the course of the installation, performance, there will also be a series of open readings for the community, workshops that explore creativity in storytelling, live music, film, culminating into an all inclusive event.- ETHAN SHOSHANJuly 9th, Saturday 12 - 6pm"Seeds to Psyche's Care" by Naufus Ramirez-Figueroa.An enactment of the punishment given by Venus to Psyche.9pmBill Shannon - "Regarding The Fall"Video lecture based on the website whatiswhat.com - a personal story and observations on human nature & sociological phenomena.Bill Shannon is a 2004 Artist's Fellowship recipient of the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA). This presentation is co-sponsored by Artists & Audiences Exchange, a public program of NYFA.July 17th, Sunday 5 - 8pmFree workshop in basic bookbinding & papermaking with Ethan ShoshanFeel free to drop in and bring your own supplies. (some will be provided)9pm"In Time Falling Bodies Take to Light"film screening by J. Lincoln SmithJuly 29th, Friday 7pm"The Emperor's Premiere"Urban/jungle/grunge/drag/sex/summer/hothothot/EV fashion show exclusive by it/EQ (designers Carlo Quispe & Ethan Shoshan).Escorted sexy drag models will reveal more than this summer's hottest fashions!