Danger!

April 28 – July 20, 2012
The Collaborative, California

The Collaborative: A project of The Arts Council For Long Beach ant tje Museum of Latin American Art

Co-curated by Idurre Alonso and Selene Preciado, this exhibition will present works of art that explore the idea of danger, showcasing three Mexican artists; Mely Barragán, Miguel Fernández, and Daniel Ruanova. Danger! challenges the viewer to analyze his/her own notions of perception and caution in the face of objects that appear dangerous or hazardous. The works in this exhibition include installations by the three artists; One of my spiked balls, 2012, by Daniel Ruanova continues his investigation into notions of violence, fear and safety by creating a mechanical plastic spiked ball that moves slowly like a pendulum, resembling a rubber toy for children as well as a torture device. Miguel Fernández is producing an installation of broken glass particles on top of a table. Viewers are invited to sit on benches around the table and observe the material, which does not represent any imminent danger, although the image of broken glass indicates the potential for danger and risk of bodily injury if we touch the material. In Power to Kill, 2011, by Mely Barragán, the artist presents an installation of handbags in the shape of kitchen knives. Shallow Water, 2011, another sculpture by Barragán made with black acrylic and latex, not only refers to the danger of the ocean as a force of nature and the vulnerability of its ecosystem due to human intervention, but also utilizes materials that have certain connotations of perversity and sexuality.

The works in this exhibition question how we relate to materials and shapes of objects, and how danger is a concept that involves curiosity and caution simultaneously, as our brain activates survival instincts that alert us to avoid danger by “not touching” or not coming “too close” to something, but if we do, our defiance becomes an act of power. Miguel Fernández lives and works in Tijuana. Daniel Ruanova and Mely Barragán currently live and work in China.

Practical info
The Collaborative
421 W. Broadway Ave.,
Long Beach, CA 90802