Heyward | What BORDERS are YOU willing to CROSS ? 

What BORDERS are YOU willing to CROSS ? 

Carl Heyward / usa 

Curator

Founder

GLOBAL ART PROJECT 

The creation of CrossingBorders came about  in 2018 at the invitation of artist-gallerist  (10dence Gallery Holland)  and GAP member Ron Weijers utilizing his extensive European contacts especially in Belgium, of civic leaders, the business community,  artists and art spaces etc. The theme of borders resonates especially powerfully now in light of lurid examples of intolerance, of immigration restrictions, the alarming rise of the alt- right, pseudo-nationalism, environmental issues, police violence, a general social insurgency,  racism, sexism and gender biases that all seem to have coalesced in a frenzy of attacks on personal freedoms fueled by fear, entitlement, ignorance and hysteria in an almost unbearable NOW !

CrossingBorders grew out of this invitation and resulted in an extensive exhibition Sept -Oct 2019 in a 14th century cathedral at Campo-Santo in Ghent, Belgium.

Select works from that exhibition as well as new additions are included in the CrossingBorders USA exhibit at the invitation of forward thinking artist-gallerist Jennifer Perlmutter whose eponymously named gallery in Lafayette, California hosts GAP Sept 5 – Oct 3, 2020.

CrossingBorders USA addresses personal, psychological, political and even aesthetic limitations imposed  by the dynamics of fear. We left the interpretation of these Borders up to the submitting artists ( a combo of Weijers’ 10dence stable and members of GAP) but did make an attempt to include pointed examples of  socio-political issues that honor immigration concerns, the Native American – Chicano intersection (the work of Emmanuel Montoya, for example) stark political assessments  (Na Omi Judy Shintani and Herbert Siguenza)   and metaphysical origin references ( the Crowns of Kemit Amenophosis)  as part of our curatorial prerogative.

CrossingBorders USA (ironically) is open and fluid as it taps into a myriad of concerns and perceptions of these barriers, boundaries…lines drawn in the sand.

None involved in this project are necessarily overtly political, nor are our groups. The function of the artist is to stimulate thought, to shed light into corners of darkness and through a reciprocal process, then, elevate thought and experience and in some cases, perhaps, offer options to habitual automatic modes of thinking and being.

At a time when the Covid – 19 Pandemic has created a myriad of borders and challenges to our very existence we move forward creating platforms for collaboration and communication appreciating the fragility of life and the necessity to continue with compassion and humanity. In this case our collective intention is as important as the result and we feel the resultant exhibition ain’t bad.