The Institute of Contemporary Art is pleased to announce the following upcoming exhibitions: lazos terrenales / earthly bonds by Edra Soto; no breath, no breeze by Sheida Soleimani; and Stoicheion by Cole Lu. The three shows at the Institute of Contemporary Art present diverse perspectives on heritage, identity, and generational trauma. They delve into themes of human existence, antiquity, and art-making as a healing gesture. Through various materials and modes of creation, these exhibits offer a thought-provoking investigation of these vital and interrelated issues.
Edra Soto, Sol Centro I, 2023. Courtesy of the artist.
lazos terrenales / earthly bonds by Edra Soto
- On view: July 12 - September 15, 2024
- Public reception: Friday, July 12, 5:00–7:00 pm
Edra Soto's lazos terrenales / earthly bonds explores Puerto Rican architecture's patterns and materials to delve into colonial histories, diasporic identities, and social constructs. It extends Soto's "Graft" series, using rejas (wrought iron screens) for architectural intervention and social practice. Soto introduces personal and shared histories through geometric patterns in these rejas, which are common in Puerto Rican structures. The artwork investigates colonial, Indigenous, and Black lineages, unveiling family portraits, landscapes, and memorabilia, emphasizing cultural and personal memories while questioning the indoctrination methods of colonial traditions.
Sheida Soleimani, The Blind Owl. Courtesy of the artist.
no breath, no breeze by Sheida Soleimani
- On view: July 12 - September 15, 2024
- Public reception: Friday, July 12, 5:00–7:00 pm
Sheida Soleimani reconstructs her mother's stories through tableaux photography, portraying her resistance to the Shah's and Ayatollah's regimes in 1970s/80s Iran. The artist weaves personal histories, political conflicts, and accounts of defiance, using motifs like "Snakes and Ladders," vegetation, fruit, and injured birds. These symbols depict not only her family history but also the impact of trauma. no breath, no breeze considers intergenerational damage caused by geopolitical violence, the formation of complex identities, and responses to trauma.
Cole Lu detail
Stoicheion by Cole Lu
- On view: July 12 - September 15, 2024
- Public reception: Friday, July 12, 5:00–7:00 pm
In Stoicheion, New York-based artist Cole Lu examines social hierarchies and their origins. "Stoicheion," the Greek title of Euclid's Elements and Aristoxenus's Elements of Harmonics, holds various meanings. Cole Lu's dodecahedron shelter presents an otherworldly space to consider "humanity." The installation features cast concrete reliefs and an excavation sheltering system covered by linen. Imagery is burnt into the fabric, incised into concrete, and charred into the wood. Stoicheion tells the story of a new possible foundation through material, language, and mark-making gestures.
For updates and more information, please visit ICA at MECA&D.