A chief editor of Art Spiel, Etty Yaniv interviewed Marco Palli, a new president of Sculptors Alliance. The exhibition I curated "Flux -Vita Mutata-", the first online exhibition of the organization, was highlighted as a part of his challenges during the Covid pandemic to shift all programs to online. Fascinating behind-the-scene stories of how the young artist is transforming and revitalizing this 40 years old organization are worth reading!

• Virtual Exhibition: November 15 – December 30, 2020
• Virtual Reception: Wednesday December 2, 2020 at 6:00 PM
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Description: Curator Natsuki Takauji proposes that we explore “How is the global pandemic changing our lives.” “FLUX : Vita Mutata” aims to explore the ways in which artists work and question old approaches as they develop new ones. The exhibition will be presented online due to conditions brought on by COVID-19, which has put in-person exhibitions temporarily on hold.
“FLUX : Vita Mutata” aims to uncover the processes participants may have newly invented and/or rediscovered during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants (individuals or teams are welcome) are encouraged to submit works made before the pandemic period and works made during the pandemic period. The virtual exhibition will focus on the processes that expose the artists’ transition from pre-pandemic through the lockdown and beyond.
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About this Exhibition: The organization of this exhibition unfolds alphabetically by the name of the artists selected. Each artist section is structured as follows: name of the artist, the website of the artist, two (2) artworks created by the artist before the pandemic, two (2) artworks created during the pandemic, and the artist's statement about how the pandemic has influenced their life, artwork, and process in “quotation” (not in italics to facilitate reading).

Artists: Amalia Galdona Broche / Anne Muntges /  Bob Clyatt / Carole Loeffler / Christopher Skura / Dai Ban / Geoffrey Miller / Haksul Lee / Judith Roston Freilich / Judy Glasser / Kenichi Nakajima / Lesley Bodzy / Mark Eisendrath / Michelangelo Arteaga / Monika Majer / Rich Tomasello / Sara Knight

About Sculptors Alliance: The Sculptors Alliance, Inc., a 501 (c) 3 non-for-profit artists’ cooperative, was founded in 1980 for the purpose of providing a forum for discussion, mutual support and furthering the appreciation of sculpture through group exhibitions and educational programs.

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My collaborative project "What Is Your Name?" is included in the virtual group exhibition "Mother Tongue" by The Immigrant Artist Biennial 2020.

​Co-Curators: Mary Annunziata, Allison Cannella, Anna Mikaela Ekstrand, Katya Grokhovsky

Artists: Ferguson Amo, Mahsa Biglow, Sera Boeno, Carolina Casusol, Cecile Chong, Furen Dai, Priyanka Dasgupta & Chad Marshall, Priscilla Dobler Dzul, Matilda Forsberg, Nina Ghanbarzadeh (Afkhamian), Yikui (Coy) Gu, Luma Jasim, Tiri Kananuruk, Marina Kassianidou, Cecilia Kim, Marina Leybishkis, Stefana McClure, Rodrigo Moreira, Renana Neuman, Sari Nordman, Kasia Ozga, Dafna Rehavia, Katreen Sorokina, Tereza Swanda, Johanna Strobel, Hui-Ying Tsai, Tansy Xiao, Haksul Lee & Natsuki Takauji, Tao Wei

​Performance projects: Kevin Quiles Bonilla, Marcela Casals, Salomé Egas, Bianca Falco, Georgia Lale, Silkworm Pupas (Jiaoyang Li & JinJin Xu), Jorge Rojas, María Verónica San Martín

As bell hooks writes, “like desire, language disrupts, refuses to be constrained within boundaries. It speaks itself against our will, in words and thoughts that intrude, even violate the most private spaces of mind and body.” Speaking, reading, and writing in one’s mother tongue can provide comfort and community, a sense of belonging in a foreign land. Using the mother tongue to revive folklore and oral storytelling is also a way to honor family and heritage. In the public sphere, however, governments and institutions employ language to reduce, reject, and undermine marginalized populations. In the cultural field, language-based artworks, protest signs, and community organizing serve as powerful tools to call out injustices. Technology increasingly facilitates our use of language, allowing us to communicate with the stroke of a finger, but also interferes with the subtle nuances of oral and physical language. The selected artists in Mother Tongue, chosen from a diverse pool of open call applications received from immigrant artists across the U.S., present a visual lexicon of language marked by translation, assimilation, and belonging. Their works chart the influence of imperialism, migration, and time.

“Flux -Vita Mutata- a virtual group exhibition I’m curating for @sculptors.alliance . Please apply and share your artistic journey!
http://www.sculptorsalliance.org/open-call
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Curator Natsuki Takauji proposes that we explore “How is the global pandemic changing our lives.” “FLUX : Vita Mutata” aims to explore the ways in which artists work and question old approaches as they develop new ones. The exhibition will be presented online due to conditions brought on by COVID-19, which has put in-person exhibitions temporarily on hold.
“FLUX : Vita Mutata” aims to uncover the processes participants may have newly invented and/or rediscovered during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants (individuals or teams are welcome) are encouraged to submit works made before the pandemic period and works made during the pandemic period. The virtual exhibition will focus on the processes that expose the artists’ transition from pre-pandemic through the lockdown and beyond.

TWO STRONG
PeepShow Space
37 North 15th Street (corner of Gem Street) in Williamsburg 11222

Featuring:
Natsuki Takauji
www.natsukitakauji.com
@natsukiuji
Zhen Guo
www.zhenguoart.com
@zhenguoart
curated by:
William Norton
@norton_william
www.nortonart.net


TWO STRONG
PeepShow Space (a pop up)
Running through Sunday November 1
37 North 15th Street
Williamsburg Brooklyn 11222
On the Gem Street Side

The exhibition will be able to be viewed from the street Thursdays and Fridays from 12-6 pm. Saturdays and Sundays the gallery will be open to accept small groups of people at a time from 12-6 pm & small tours can be given on demand by contacting Norton WR