Hector Canonge is an interdisciplinary artist whose work incorporates the use of media technologies, physical environments, cinematic and performative narratives.  He explores and treats issues related to construction of identity, gender roles, and the politics of migration.  Challenging the white box settings of a gallery or a museum, or intervening directly in public spaces his performances mediate movement, endurance, and ritualistic processes.  Some of his actions and carefully choreographed performances involve collaborating with other artists and interacting with audiences. Canonge’s visual arts projects and performance art work have been presented in the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America. Canonge organizes the annual performance art festival ITINERANT, and the program dedicated to feature latin/o/a artists, PERFORMEANDO. He is the co-founder and director of QMAD, Queens Media Arts Development, and has curated and organized the monthly artists’ program A-LAB Forum, InQbator, and the monthly independent Queer film series CINEMAROSA. His work has been reviewed by The New York Times, ART FORUM, New York Daily News, Manhattan Times, by major networks ABC, NBC, CNN, CBS, UNIVISION, etc., and by online art publications such as Art Experience NYC, NYRemezcla, Turbulence, ART CARDS Review and NYFA among others.

More info: www.hectorcanonge.net

Project Description:

POLARISMS: The artist as curator, negotiator and cultural entrepreneur.

A practicing artist is no longer just an artist who dedicates most, if not all, of his/her time to create work.  As artists, today we live in an multi-polar existence battling and juggling our time doing many things that may not necessary be ‘art creation.’  Many artists are curators, produce events and exhibitions, and collaborate with fellow artists in communal projects. The experience is rewarding but it demands a lot from ourselves.  The polarity of being our own business representatives, to dedicate time for curatorial work, and the demands of our own work is an issue that we hardly ever talk about. Through this panel, I’d like to explore this particular situation.