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Both timely and haunting, “Global Caribbean III: Haiti Kingdom of This World” is a resonant survey of a group of nearly 20 contemporary artists whose work explores the chaotic state of nature and upheaval reigning in the turbulent island nation.
The exhibit, which borrows its name from a novel by magical realist Alejo Carpentier, features paintings, sculptures, photography, video, and installations. Drawing from Haiti’s founding myths, the works offer a vision of a nation rising, phoenix-like, from the devastation following the earthquake that ravaged Haiti two years ago.
Sebastien Jean’s overwhelming, wall-engulfing painting, incorporating black smoke and acrylic on canvas, transports the spectator to a Dante-esque nightmare where the souls of the damned cry for redemption.
Artist Killy fills a corner of the gallery with what appear to be portraits of ancestors watching as a flotilla of small wooden boats, each painted inside with the visage of a grimacing voyager, embark on a journey to the unknown, leaving their decimated homeland behind.
Seamlessly curated by Giscard Bouchotte and impeccably hung by local artist Edouard Duval-Carrié, who also has work on display, the startling show is a reminder of the creative power of the spirit in the wake of tragedy.
Mondays-Saturdays, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Starts: Jan. 10. Continues through March 31, 2012
