Immigrant movement international

Immigrant Movement International (2010-2015), initiated by Tania Bruguera
Presented by Creative Time and the Queens Museum of Art

Tania Bruguera’s Immigrant Movement International, presented by Creative Time and the Queens Museum of Art, is a long-term art project in the form of an artist-initiated socio-political movement. Bruguera will spend a year operating a flexible community storefront space in the multinational and transnational neighborhood of Corona, Queens, which will serve as the movement’s headquarters. Engaging both local and international communities, as well as working with social service organizations, elected officials, and artists focused on immigration reform, Bruguera will examine growing concerns about the political representation and conditions facing immigrants.

As migration becomes a more central element of contemporary existence, the status and identity of those who live outside their place of origin increasingly become defined not by sharing a common language, class, culture, or race, but instead by their condition as immigrants. By engaging the local community through public workshops, events, actions, and partnerships with immigrant and social service organizations, Immigrant Movement International will explore who is defined as an immigrant and the values they share, focusing on the larger question of what it means to be a citizen of the world. Bruguera will also delve into the implementation of art in society, examining what it means to create « Useful Art », and addressing the disparity of engagement between informed audiences and the general public, as well as the historical gap between the language used in what is considered avant-garde and the language of urgent politics.

Bruguera will launch Immigrant Movement International on Saturday, April 23, with A Conversation on Useful Art at project headquarters—108-59 Roosevelt Avenue, Queens, NY. The event, held in conjunction with the Useful Art Association, from 2:00–5:00 pm, will feature an introduction by Bruguera, followed by a series of brief conversations with artists Mel Chin, Santiago Cirugeda, Beka Economopoulos, Rick Lowe, and Pase Usted; Nato Thompson, Chief Curator at Creative Time; Tom Finkelpearl, Executive Director, Queens Museum of Art; Larissa Harris, Curator, Queens Museum of Art; and Gregory Sholette, Chair, MFA Studio Art Program, Queens College CUNY. Claire Bishop, Associate Professor of Art History, CUNY Graduate Center, will moderate a roundtable discussion with participants, representatives from local immigrant community organizations Make the Road, New York, and N.I.C.E. (New Immigrant Community Empowerment), and New York City Council Member Julissa Ferreras. A Q&A will follow. The event is free and open to the public on a first-come, first-serve basis.

ABOUT TANIA BRUGUERA
Tania Bruguera is one of the leading political and performance artists of her generation. Bruguera’s work researches ways in which Art can be applied to the everyday political and uses the terms ARTE DE CONDUCTA (conduct/behavior art) and ARTE UTIL (useful art) to define her practice.

ABOUT CREATIVE TIME
Since 1974, Creative Time has presented the most innovative art in the public realm. The New York-based nonprofit has worked with over 2,000 artists to produce more than 335 groundbreaking public art projects that have ignited the public’s imagination, explored ideas that shape society, and engaged millions of people around the globe.

For more information on Creative Time and its projects, visit www.creativetime.org.

ABOUT THE QUEENS MUSEUM OF ART
The Queens Museum of Art is a local international art space in Flushing Meadows Corona Park with contemporary art, events and educational programs reflecting the diversity of Queens and New York City. The museum presents the work of emerging and established artists, changing exhibitions that speak to contemporary urban issues, and projects that focus on the rich history of its site.

For more information on the Queens Museum of Art, visit www.queensmuseum.org.

Venue Information

Immigrant Movement International
108-59 Roosevelt Avenue
Corona, Queens, NY 11368
(718) 424-6502

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