April 29 - May 18, 2016
(New York, NY) April 25, 2016 – Times Square Arts and the Cuban Artists Fund bring Aimée García Marrero, an artist respected for her play between body and restriction, and her public art installation Times of Silence that exposes the news of our day, printed and public as the body, delicately restrained by colorful hand-embroidery to the Broadway plaza between 42nd and 43rd Streets from April 29 – May 18, 2016. An unveiling will take place on Friday, April 29th at 11:00 am.
The project consists of 6 panels of collaged newspaper and embroidery threads mounted in three metal illuminated vitrines. Through this sculptural form, we see the evidence of controlled communication of national press – either as a statement of silence or as an aesthetic composition of color and form, where the viewer chooses to write an alternative daily journal. Combining New York Times and Cuban papers, Marrero shows us that news is always slightly opaque and interpretative.
Sherry Dobbin, Times Square Arts Director, said, “In a place of chaos and construction, Garcia Montes interrupts our flow and invites us into an intimate moment in which we can look for the detail, the subtlety and beautifully complicated nature of what is said and not said in our daily 'news.’”
Tim Tompkins, President of the Times Square Alliance, said, “The printed word has been synonymous with their identity of the place. As a crossroads, we have the opportunity to bring together different perspectives on our iconic stage, and amplify less-heard voices.”
Aimée García Marrero, artist, said, “For me it is very important to the realization of this project since the main idea is to reflect from art on the information to which the individual is constantly exposed. This is a great opportunity as Times Square is a hub of information, where many people from around the world come together, and it owes its name to the New York Times offices that were located on the site. That's why the newspapers use symbolically the New York Times along with Cuban newspapers.”
Carlos M. Pomares, Executive Director of the Cuban Artists Fund, said, “The Cuban Artists Fund is pleased to collaborate with Times Square Arts on our sixth art project. The collaboration underscores the significance of presenting exceptional artistic expression in non-traditional setting enabling the public access to thousands. In light of renewed diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba, exhibitions such as this one featuring Aimee Garcia demonstrate the common values we share as one people.”
Times of Silence will be on view April 29 – May 18, 2016 on the Broadway Plaza between 42nd and 43rd Streets.
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Times Square Arts, the public art program of the Times Square Alliance, collaborates with contemporary artists and cultural institutions to experiment and engage with one of the world's most iconic urban places. Through the Square's electronic billboards, public plazas, vacant areas and popular venues, and the Alliance's own online landscape, Times Square Arts invites leading contemporary creators to help the public see Times Square in new ways. Times Square has always been a place of risk, innovation and creativity, and the Arts Program ensures these qualities remain central to the district's unique identity. Generous support of Times Square Arts is provided by ArtPlace America and ArtWorks. Visit TimesSquareNYC.org/Arts for more information. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @TSqArts.
Aimée García Marrero
Matanzas, 1972. Lives and works in Havana, Cuba. Graduated from the Higher Institute of Art in Havana in 1996. She has held solo exhibitions at the Wifredo Lam Contemporary Art Center, Havana; Alejandro Otero Museum, Caracas; Robert Berman Gallery, LA; Havana Gallery, Nina Menocal Gallery, Mexico; Fraser Gallery, Washington DC; Couturier Gallery, LA. Her work has also been exhibited at the José Luis Cuevas, Mexico; Museum of Modern Art, Toluca, Mexico; Sheldon Museum of Art, Nebraska; Israel Museum; and in Spain, Germany, Canada and Colombia. She has participated in several international biennials such as the Havana Biennial, Kwangju Biennial, Biennial of Cuenca and Painting Biennial of the Caribbean and Central America. Her works are in public collections such as Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. Havana, Cuba; Arizona State University Art Museum, Arizona, USA; Museo del Barrio, New York, USA; University of Virginia Art Museum, Virginia, USA; Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, University of Oregon, Oregon, USA; Museum of Finest Cuban Arts, Vienna, Austria; and The Cuban Avant-Garde Farber Collection. www.couturiergallery.com
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About Cuban Artists Fund
The Cuban Artists Fund (CAF) was established in 1998 to foster the vitality and spirit of Cuban artists in United States, Cuba and throughout the Diaspora community, to raise global awareness and understanding of Cuban cultural achievements, to build an international network of support and partnerships for the Cuban arts community, and to play a leadership role in promoting better understanding among American, Cuban, and Cuban Diaspora artists, art professionals, academics, and communities.
About The Rockefeller Brothers Fund
The Rockefeller Brothers Fund advances social change that contributes to a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world.
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Media Contacts:
For Times Square Arts:
TJ Witham
212.452.5234 | TJWitham@TimesSquareNYC.org
Marisa Wayne
212.843.9216 | MWayne@Rubenstein.com