This series of Collages and drawings were presented at Cutlog NY 2014 by Turf Project, curated by Mebrak Tareke.
‘Own Cult -Icons from Wonderland’ explores the role of icons and cult figures in creating a new visual language on human identity. The digital age, its endless flow of information, makes it difficult for us to peel fact from fiction and the past from the future. However, it does nurture our ability to tap into the subconscious, where a plethora of non-linear narratives exist. This has the potential to shape how we experience the world. Ultimately, this show reiterates what artist Elena Cecchinato calls ‘Own Cult’. It eschews distinction, time and place, illustrating instead, how our lives are hybridized and governed by us. Our existence is constantly fraught with collision, chaos and change. Therein lies the beauty of Africana and its place in culture and society today: its cults and icons are an embodiment of the agile human spirit. Those tell their own heroic fairytales of hope amidst adversities.
This show drew on the works of three emerging artists: Nathalie Mba-Bikoro, Elena Cecchinato, Leah Gordon and, Haitian flag maker Antoine Oleyant.