Open Syntax #1: Exit Strategy
Group Show | Ekaterina Aksenova, Alva CalyMayor, Florencia Escudero and Michelle Claire Gevint
Curated by Danielo Garcia

Opening Reception Saturday September 16th, 6-8pm.
On view through Saturday September 30th.
Open Projects @ ALPHA - 292 E. 3rd St. # 1B NYC, NY

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Soon our time will be up. The keys will be ripped from our hands. Our curatorial residency at ALPHA artspace will come to an end in a few months and we will wander the “art world” desert as the nomads we are. Our exit may or may not be graceful, but it is certain; thus, we set the stage for our next evolution. “Open Syntax” is an evolving seriality that embraces multi-forms and rapid response. An art blog IRL, if you will.

The inaugural iteration, "Open Syntax #1: Exit Strategy" is a group show that establishes dialogue with international artists now working in NYC. A fluid approach around "exit/no exit" as a way to address our fight-or-flight instinct.

Ekaterina Aksenova works predominantly in the medium of sculpture and utilizes a wide range of materials such as paper, plaster, ceramic, wood, etc. She graduated with Bachelor of Arts from Hunter College, NYC in 2013. During the past years, Ekaterina participated in exhibitions in the NYC area as well as abroad in Russia and Japan. Her most recent works have been greatly inspired by the experiences and limitations of the human body. In attempt to reexamine the boundaries of the personal space, Ekaterina's works inhabit the physical space and claim its interior with patterns made up of cast body sections. Born in Voronezh, Russia, she now lives and works in New York City.

Alva CalyMayor makes use of a visual vocabulary that addresses social issues, perceptions of safety as well as patterns of mass consumption. She keeps track of its manifestations and the trace they leave as they are discarded, repurposed or become no longer functional. Her work has been exhibited in: Astral America (curated my Keren Moscovitch, SVA, NY), Chaos/Control (curated by Melinda Wang, Doing Living, NY), Harvest the Night (curated by Leah Dixon, Beverley's, NY), Collective Show Mexico (Casa Maauad, México, D.F.), Spring Break Art Show (NY), at MWOW (curated by Grayson Cox, Knockdown Center, NY). Alva was one of five artists selected for ("Air," Ace Hotel Residency, NY), curated by the BHQFU. She was a Mentor in NYFA's Program Mentorship for Immigrants Program (2014), formed part of the 27th Bronx Artist's in the Marketplace during 2006-2007, and received a Grant from the Stephen Sprouse Scholarship Fund for pushing the boundaries within the printmaking field. Alva has been recognized in several publications for exploring and showcasing art in a non-commercial format, for her collaborations with fellow artists through Eyelevel BQE, project that she co-funded in 2008: Interview Magazine (2013), "Alternative Histories," New York art spaces from 1960-2010, MIT Press (2012), Artists in the Marketplace second Biennial; "The Other Marketplace," Lia Zaalof (2013).

Florencia Escudero was born in Singapore and was nationalized and raised in Argentina. She has lived and traveled extensively throughout the world and is currently based in New York. Her practice encompasses: sculpture, photography, video, and curating. She is also the Co-Founder and co-Editor of Precog Magazine. Florencia has a Master of Fine arts from Yale University (2012) and Bachelor in Sculpture from The School of Visual Arts in New York (2010).

Michelle Claire Gevint is an Israeli-American interdisciplinary artist currently based in Brooklyn. She obtained her BFA from Bezalel Art Academy, Jerusalem and resided to NYC after receiving a scholarship to complete her MFA at Parsons The New School for Design. Selected exhibitions and residencies include: The Bronx Museum of Art, AIM Biennial, Fridman gallery, NYC, NYABF MOMA PS1, Laznia Museum, Poland, Trestle Gallery, NY, Hermitage Museum, Russia, Beijing Design Festival, China, Auckland Photo Festival, NZ, Sotheby's Chicago, MICA, Baltimore, G91, NY, Marble House Residency, VT, VSC, VT. Her work has been featured in publications such as The Chicago Sun Times, Recinema catalogue, Sidney College of Arts and Arts Culture Beat, online Columbia University blog, Art Fuse and The Berkshire Eagle.

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