ESPERANZA CORTÉS
Corazón Negro/ Black Heart, 2011
glass beads on clay sculpture, chain
4h x 8w x 8d in
In Colombian born, NYC-based multidisciplinary artist Esperanza Cortés's premiere solo exhibition, Arrested Symphony, at the Jonathan Ferrara Gallery, the injustices of the global mining industries are explored and exposed, their jewels made once again sinister in their seductive properties. Through sculptures, reliefs, drawings, and hanging works, Cortés reflects on a history of human conflict fueled by minerals—touching on Uranium and its 700,000 people death-count during World War II, on emerald mining and the 60 years of conflict (taking over 450,000 lives and displacing 5.7 million others) it's funded in her birthplace of Colombia, and on the brutality of worldwide civil conflict fueled by the mining and acquisition of Blood Diamonds.
"This project," she says, "will make visual the human cost extracted with these minerals, once exposed to the light of day, they can never be unearthed."
Arrested Symphony will be on display from December 18, 2019, through February 14, 2020, with an opening reception coinciding with the Arts District of New Orleans' First Saturday Gallery Openings on January 4 from 6 pm–9 pm. A second reception will be held at the same time on February 1st, 2020.