Group Show: Guatavita

Guatavita July 14 – August 13, 2010 | 11 Rivington St

Davide Balula | Hilary Berseth | Chris Caccamise | Hilary Harnischfeger | Volker Hueller | Jacob Kassay Cameron Martin | Ishmael Randall Weeks | Valeska Soares

 

Eleven Rivington is to present ‘Guatavita’, on view from July 14 - August 13, 2010. The title of the exhibition refers to Laguna de Guatavita, one of the sacred lakes of the 14th century Muisca nation and culture, in what is now part of central Colombia.  As part of a ritual, the ruler of the Muisca, also called the Zipa (and later named ‘El Dorado’ by the Spanish conquistadors) used to cover his body in gold dust and then from his raft, he and his worshippers offered treasures to the goddess Guatavita in the middle of the sacred lake, throwing trinkets and jewelry into the water. 

 

The exhibition is curated by Augusto Arbizo and brings together recent work which incorporate precious metals, minerals, and gemstones, including gold, silver, and agate.  ‘Guatavita’ includes Davide Balula (France), Volker Hueller (Germany), Ishmael Randall Weeks (Peru), Valeska Soares (Brazil) and emerging American artists Hilary Berseth, Hilary Harnischfeger, and Jacob Kassay, among others.  To emphasize the open-ended association to the tale referred to in the title, other works in the exhibition suggest a narrative of landscape and nature as treasury, with allusions to the often hidden mysteries and historical significance of place.