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Opening: May 16th from 7 - 11pm
In the midst of national economic crisis, Queens Nails Annex is pleased to present Recession: The alternative economies of Maximo Gonzalez. Recession will present Gonzalez' bifurcated practice of both object production and alternative exhibition making. Recession will open May 16th from 7 - 11p.m. and will run until June 13th.
The front gallery of QNA will feature one of Gonzalez's incredibly detailed and meticulously made collage-murals, entirely constructed of devalued third world currency. These large-scale collages, reminiscent of the political paintings of the Mexican muralist in the early 20th century, conflate the relationship between the aesthetic of the political machine that eats forests and defecates televisions and tanks, and the reality of the economic machine that bankrupts developing nations.
The second gallery will present a retrospective from Gonzalez' alternative /informal economy project El Changarrito. The Changarrito is a small push cart, likened to that often seen in the streets of Mexico that sell various items from fresh fruit to black market goods. For Gonzalez the "Changa", as it is affectionately called, is a means of intervention and critique. Situated in front of major art fairs, museums, symposiums, and flea markets alike, Gonzalez uses the Changarrito as both a platform for emerging artists and as a satire of the art market. Since 2005, more than 60 artists have presented their work on the Changarrito, selling their work to collectors ranging from afternoon flâneurs to the King of Spain and the president of Mexico. The Changa retrospective at QNA will exhibit a selection of works by Gonzalez' from the over 500 pieces in the official Changarrito collection.
In addition, QNA is proud to present the second incarnation of the Changarrito, a new pushcart that has been created for exhibitions in the United States. With the exhibition of this new Changa, the Changarrito project moves one step closer to being an international phenomenon. The new Changa will be presenting and selling works from several emerging artists both from the Bay Area and Latin America.
Finally, the backroom of QNA will exhibit additional collages and drawings by Gonzalez of both political satire and vending carts.
