A Nation of Fear is a group exhibition confronting issues surrounding the current climate of violence in Mexico, with work by Miguel A. Aragon, Adriana Corral, and Raymundo Delgadillo. Each artist addresses the current wave of violence in Mexico, as well as its causes and the widespread social and political consequences both in Mexico and the U.S. More than 50,000 people have died as a direct result of the Mexican drug war over the last few years, and thousands more have been affected by the violence in the border town Juarez.
Each artwork in A Nation of Fear is a direct response to this violence and the fear. Aragon uses burnt pigment as the medium of his mark making, playing with the idea that the violence is burned into the consciousness of Juarez’s inhabitants. Corral works with classified documents from the court cases of murdered victims found in Juarez to create installations that allow the viewer to mourn and feel personally connected to these tragedies. Using blood as a medium, Delgadillo explores the power of materials. His interest in materiality reflects his attempt to find alternative modes of communicating the recent wave of violence in Mexico and its personal affect on his family. The exhibition is a powerful statement on the social, cultural, and political reality of Mexico today.
Generous support for Center Space Project comes from the University Co-Op along with Robin and Trey Hancock.
Bios
Miguel A. Aragon graduated with an MFA in Printmaking from The University of Texas at Austin in May 2012. He was born and raised in Juarez, Mexico and received his BFA from The University of Texas at El Paso. His work has been exhibited at the Austin Museum of Art, Arthouse at the Jones Center, Mexic-Arte Museum, Contemporary Crafts Center in Portland, Kyoto City Museum in Japan, Florean Museum in Romania, and 808 Gallery in Boston, among others.
Adriana Corral is a third-year MFA candidate in Sculpture and Assistant Instructor at The University of Texas at Austin. She was born in El Paso, Texas and received her BFA from The University of Texas at El Paso. She recently had a solo show at the Mexic-Arte Museum in Austin, and her work has been featured at the National Mexican Museum of Art in Chicago.
Raymundo Delgadillo is a third-year undergraduate student in Design at The University of Texas at Austin. His work has been featured at Gallery Black Lagoon, FAB Gallery, and the Austin Museum of Art – Laguna Gloria. In May 2012, he curated an exhibition at the FAB Gallery addressing identity.