The Illusionist

You might say Juan Carlos Zaldivar is a master of reality. When you enter one of the alchemist’s art installations, the outside world suddenly seems very far away. He conjures stuff that makes you stop, rewind, and try to unravel what is exactly different and why. Tonight Zaldivar is unveiling three ethereal, participatory works at Deluxe Arts Gallery. In Palingenesis, named for the theory of the transmigration of souls, video imagery is projected into a barrel full of liquid. A constant drop of water rippling the fluid’s surface disturbs perception in a haunting way. In another piece, projected onto linen panels suspended in the space, doors open and close mysteriously, beckoning the viewer into other worlds. Zaldivar invites the more daring to join him in Blind Trust, an interactive Polaroid installation where he photographs spectators nude and exhibits their abstract images as part of his piece. Participants keep their snaps at the evening’s end. Forget real tonight at 7:00. Call 786-200-4971, or visit www.phonographfilms.com.
Fri., Sept. 29