Noysky Projects presents Zero Parecer, a solo exhibition by Los Angeles-based artist Emmet Prieto Webster. The exhibition was co-organized by Level Ground in conjunction with their annual residency program, and will be on view during Felix Art Fair, just two blocks west from Noysky Projects.

Zero Parecer is a multimedia tribute to the Mexican telenovela, Rebelde, and RBD, the spin-off teen idol band — both of which gained popularity in the mid-2000s. Working outward from RBD’s bubblegum pop soundscape, the exhibition explores fantasies and speculative realities of the telenovela that were germane to Mexican-American teens, while broadly relating to persistence of pop culture within our collective consciousness. “I gravitated extra hard toward a lot of telenovelas and music as a way to cope with the loss of Spanish in my household,” says Prieto Webster.

The centerpiece of the exhibition is a 17-minute video collage made from found imagery, DIY videos, and clips from Rebelde that dissolve in a dreamy, pixelated pastiche. The frantic and sometimes disorienting glitch art is reminiscent of the cut-and-paste aesthetic of punk rock posters and ‘zines, resulting in an unpolished future that is full of sex, neglect and aggression. Other elements in the exhibition include an outdoor vinyl banner that might be hoisted by mega-fans at a concert; wall-mounted t-shirts, jackets, and pants with airbrushed portraits of the stars in Rebelde; and a wall of CD jewel cases that are positioned like wallpaper in a series of photocopied multiples.

Zero Parecer uses the power of nostalgia and fandom to examine how we process culture, and redigests media tropes that had their moment but are still part of the popular lexicon.

Emmet Prieto Webster is a multimedia artist from Los Angeles. He began making visual art by producing CD and cassette covers in the backyard punk scene, and now uses free digital tools to make art about the interaction of subculture and identity. He studied Visual Art and Music at UC San Diego and California Institute of the Arts and is a recipient of the Level Ground 2020 Artist Residency Grant.

Level Ground is an award-winning artist collective and production incubator creating experiments in empathy. The collective is at their best when they provoke both artists and audiences in spaces that may initially cause discomfort, but are ultimately transformative. Through organizing and creating with artists, Level Ground is committed to destabilizing oppressive social structures through art-making, community building, and resource sharing.

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On view: July 30-August 8, 2021

Opening reception: Sunday, August 1, 2-6pm

Exhibition hours: noon–5pm

Public transportation: Red Line Metro to Hollywood/Highland. Walk 2 blocks east.

Parking: 2 hour validated parking at Hollywood & Highland Center: 1768 N. Highland Ave ($2); 1520 N. McCadden Pl ($7); or street parking in vicinity ($2 per hour); limited free street parking on McCadden Place between Hollywood Boulevard and Yucca Street, as well as Yucca Street between Highland Avenue and Las Palmas Avenue.