Amazonia Açu Included in Hyperallergic's ''Five Shows to See Right Now'' Writeup

This exhibition was organized under an unusual framework — it was assembled by nine curators, each from one of the states the Amazon River cuts through. One of their names labels the corresponding wall text accompanying artists from their respective region. The introduction describes this approach as “kaleidoscopic,” and I can’t think of a more apt way to express the phenomenological experience of the show. Iconography and themes echo across works by different artists from multiple regions — jaguars, rubber, the magical properties of plants, to name just a few. A rich variety of media is on display, from the weaving of clay to the making of paper out of sugarcane and cotton. Even the translation of techniques and motifs from one medium to another can be seen: bodypainting traditions on paper, textile motifs on canvas. I was particularly drawn to a painting by Sara Flores in which a labyrinthine motif seems to uncoil before your eyes; the tightly wound mark-making of Hélio Melo (please, can someone get him a contract for a picture book?); and Claudia Opimí Vaca’s puffy, stitched appliqué tapestry.

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