MONUMENTS NOW Programs & Events

Exhibition Overview

MONUMENTS NOW

PART I: ‘Jeffrey Gibson, Paul Ramírez Jonas, Xaviera Simmons‘
PART II: ‘Call and Response‘
PART III: ‘The Next Generation‘
+ The Broadway Billboard & “Let’s Talk”

On view summer 2020 – March 2021, ‘MONUMENTS NOW‘ was an exhibition evolving over three cumulative parts that sought to examine the role of monuments in American society and champion underrepresented peoples and narratives.

Programming for ‘MONUMENTS NOW’ Part I

Part I Artists In Conversation with The Brooklyn Rail–>

Friend of the Park, The Brooklyn Rail, invited the three acclaimed artists whose respective monument projects comprise the first part of the ‘MONUMENTS NOW‘ exhibition – Jeffrey Gibson, Paul Ramírez Jonas, and Xaviera Simmons – to speak about their projects and the contested form of the monument. Socrates Curator and Director of Exhibitions, Jess Wilcox, moderated and poet Jive Poetic also contributed to the conversation and rounded out the event with a reading.

Programming for ‘MONUMENTS NOW: Jeffrey Gibson’

About

Artist Jeffrey Gibson considers his monument installation, ‘Because Once You Enter My House It Becomes Our House,’ to be a platform that can serve to elevate marginalized voice, particular those of Indigenous peoples.

In keeping with this sentiment, Gibson invited three Indigenous creatives – Laura Ortman, Emily Johnson, and Raven Chacon – to activate ‘Because Once You Enter My House It Becomes Our House,’ with a series of performances released as part of a virtual screening series over the course of the ‘MONUMENTS NOW‘ exhibition.

In Conversation: Artist Jeffrey Gibson & Socrates Curator Jess Wilcox–>

Indigenous Kinship Collective Land Acknowledgment–>

Laura Ortman Performance Documentary Premiere–>

Emily Johnson Performance Documentary Premiere–>

In Conversation: Jeffrey Gibson, Laura Ortman, Emily Johnson, & Raven Chacon–>

Programming for ‘MONUMENTS NOW: Paul Ramírez Jonas’

About

Artist Paul Ramírez Jonas‘ monument project, ‘Eternal Flame,’ functions as a communal barbecue. He sees the project as a catalyst for conversation and exchange among individuals coming together over a shared enjoyment of cooking and eating. The barbecues are available for public use on a first-come, first-served basis when the Park is open, which is every day from 9am to sunset. In addition, Ramírez Jonas has created a limited edition ‘Eternal Flame‘ matchbook that is freely available to Park-goers via dispensers attached to the base of the sculpture.

‘ETERNAL FLAME’ DOCUMENTARY SHORT–>

See artist Paul Ramírez Jonas’ ‘Eternal Flame’ monument installation activated by five Queens, New York-based chefs in this documentary short by film-makers RAVA (Ava Wiland and Rafael Salazar). As the chefs cook delicious recipes from around the world, they share their thoughts on cuisine as an enduring component of culture and heritage.

VIRTUAL CONVERSATION: AFTER THE MONUMENT–>

Socrates’ Curator Jess Wilcox facilitated ‘After the Monument‘ a conversation on the topic of monuments with acclaimed artist Paul Ramírez Jonas; NYC Cultural Affairs‘ Percent for Art Director, Kendal Henry; and Cleveland Museum of Contemporary Art‘s Curator Courtenay Finn.

Queens Together at the Eternal Flame–>

The non-profit Queens Together, which works to support restaurants and restaurant workers in Queens affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, has partnered with film-maker Devin Klos to create a short film, Queens Together at the ‘Eternal Flame,’ celebrating immigrant-owned restaurants in Queens.

Programming for ‘MONUMENTS NOW: Xaviera Simmons’

Artist & Curator Conversation–>

Artist Xaviera Simmons and Socrates’ Curator Jess Wilcox spoke about Simmons’ powerful three part installation, ‘The structure the labor the foundation the escape the pause,’ for the ‘MONUMENTS NOW‘ exhibition.

Programming for ‘MONUMENTS NOW’ Part II

About

The 2020 Socrates Artist Fellows present a series of virtual programs alongside their exhibition ‘Call and Response,’ Part II of the ‘MONUMENTS NOW‘ exhibition. The programming encompasses discussions with groupings of the 2020 Artist Fellows moderated by Socrates Curatorial Assistant danilo machado and live-streamed on Zoom and Facebook as well as scheduled takeovers by 2020 Artist Fellows of the Park’s Instagram account. These virtual programs will provide deeper insights into each 2020 Artist Fellow’s monument project at the Park as well as their artistic practice leading up to it.

Discussion Schedule

In Conversation: Patrick Costello, Jenny Polak, & Aya Rodriguez Izumi

In Conversation: Daniel Bejar, Fontaine Capel, Dionisio Cortes Ortega, & Bel Falleiros

In Conversation: Andrea Solstad, Kiyan Williams, & Sandy Williams IV

Instagram Takeover Schedule

Aya Rodriguez Izumi’s Takeover

Sandy Williams IV’s Takeover

Bel Falleiros’ Takeover

Jenny Polak’s Takeover

Dionisio Cortes Ortega’s Takeover

Daniel Bejar’s Takeover

Patrick Costello’s Takeover