Untitled Art Podcast Untitled Art Podcast

GeoVanna Gonzalez, multidisciplinary artist
Leilani Lynch, MCA Denver Associate Curator
Moderated by Komal Kehar, architect/designer, owner of Common Things

To be seen and occupy space can be a radical act of political resistance. Drawing inspiration from the thought-provoking performance installation PLAY, LAY, AYE: ACT 6 by GeoVanna Gonzalez, the conversation “Taking up Space” explores the profound implications of movement as a powerful form of engagement. In this discussion, multidisciplinary artist Gonzalez, Museum of Contemporary Art Denver Associate Curator Leilani Lynch, and architect/designer Komal Kehar will examine the intricate dynamics of both private and public spaces, scrutinizing them through the nuanced perspectives of gender, race, status, or other marginalized dimensions. The conversation is poised to dissect the codified norms governing accessibility, delving into the implications of these norms and their impact on the perception and utilization of space.

Presented by Commissioner, in partnership with Chief.

Three galleries exhibiting at Untitled Art, Miami Beach 2023 from Southern Africa: Ebony/Curated; Southern Guild and Kalashnikovv Gallery, come together to discuss the role of the gallery and the curator- in an evolving cultural landscape that champions the consumption of the image in what is globally understood as the digital age.

These established institutions will reflect on their respective individual presentations for this year’s edition of Untitled Art in relation to the intricate overlap between art, audience, internet, and the nuance of ‘curating for the digital age’.

The normalised omnipresence of our devices has rapidly brought about change in the way we understand, communicate and consume physical art. The contemporary gallery space is not immune to the impact of these unprecedented advancements, and the complex ‘technological gaze’ that accompanies them.

Facilitating a discussion surrounding the prevailing power, and responsibility, of the gallery to support artists in creating a presence that is not only locally relevant, but globally significant- each gallery has their own interpretation of the theme, creating a nuanced and interesting overarching conversation.

The panel will present their art gallery journeys vis-à-vis working in the digital age, and how each has developed concepts, overcome challenges, and shaped innovative pathways to entrepreneurial growth. The panel will discuss how each has measured success and/or how they advantage online tools to develop decision making.This panel features women with diverse backgrounds, with almost 100 years of collective experience in the art gallery/ art museum field, each with significant understanding of the Caribbean mid-Atlantic region and its diasporas. As a result, the panel will develop audience understanding of an under-represented region in the art world that boasts significant art talent.

In an industry that can seem daunting to try to navigate on your own, Hannah Gottlieb-Graham, Jordan Huelskamp, Charlie Jarvis, and Maria Vogel have each forged their own, unique paths independent of any preexisting entity. Recognized mavericks in their respective lanes, each speaker will share insight from their years navigating the complexities of the art world and how they brought their singular visions to life.

This year’s curatorial theme, “Gender Equality in the Arts,” and the topic of “Making and Claiming Space” is an opportunity to construct a diverse group of panelists who are often unheard and unseen in the art world. While we are seeing an uptick in artists of color, queer artists and women; what about the underrepresented individuals behind the scenes? What does diversity look like as far as gallery owners, gallery directors, curators, and institutional leaders? We want to know more about the lens in which they are all operating from, how their unique points of view will impact the contemporary landscape, and what we can expect from them in addition to more.Join us for a conversation organized and moderated by 2023 Exhibitor, Jonathan Carver Moore, founder and director of his eponymous gallery in San Francisco with panelists: Natasha Becker, curator for the Arts of Africa at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco; Storm Anthony Griffith, San Francisco-based collector, investor, entrepreneur and technologist specializing in collecting emerging artists with a focus on Bay Area art; Kacy Jung, exhibiting photo-based mixed-media sculptor; and Mari Robles, an arts educator, leader and organizer guided by a mission to connect people to quality arts education.

A conversation between Curator, Rachel Delphia and Artist, Sharif Bey to discuss his work since his major 2021 solo exhibition at the Carnegie Museum of Art, in which the artist exhibited a survey of his studio practice alongside pieces created onsite in response to the museum’s collection.This conversation will focus specifically on the artist’s newest series, the Guardians, to consider how Bey uses sculpture as autoethnography, exploring individual and collective identity through the recontextualization of forms that have historically been used to represent status or power.

The Guardians series furthers Bey’s enduring exploration of Nkisi nkondi figures, expressing questions of legacy, ornamentation, and matriarchal power. Commenting on these works, Curator Rachel Delphia writes, “It is no surprise that Bey’s Guardians are women. Each sculpture carries literal and figurative baggage, in their attributes and in the symbolic weight that generations of African American mothers bear.” This conversation will also delve into the importance of relationships shared between artists and curators extending beyond specific institutional projects, and the ways these dialogues can enrich and expand an artist’s studio practice.