Birthmark

Birthmark at frontviews: Exploring identity through the lenses of family, society, and culture

On view: June 29 – July 5, 2024

Opening Reception: Saturday, June 29, 6-9pm at frontviews / HAUNT

Hours: Wed – Sat 2-6pm

See below for more information

Organized by Carsten Becker, Sean Noyce, Alberto Rodríguez, and Katya Usvitsky

Artists: Carlos Álvarez-Montero (MX), Carsten Becker (DE), Alfredo Esparza Cárdenas (MX), Mara García (MX), Sean Noyce (US), Sandra Ratkovic (DE), Alberto Rodríguez (MX), Aline Schwörer (DE), Beatriz Sokol (MX), Katya Usvitsky (US). Book Release by Jana Müller

Frontviews, in collaboration with OJO MX ARTE (Mexico City) and Noysky Projects, presents Birthmark, a multidisciplinary exhibition exploring identity through the lenses of family, society, and culture. The exhibition is part of B-LA-M, a three-year global art exchange involving 54 artist-run spaces spanning multiple continents.

Birthmark showcases works by artists from Mexico, Germany, United States, and Belarus, whose personal narratives are as diverse as their work. Their projects delve into familial histories and societal struggles, offering insights unique to each individual yet resonating within larger cultural contexts.

Several of the works in Birthmark are worn like badges of honor, symbolizing inherited legacies or birthrights that are a source of power. Others present identities more soberly — neither good nor bad but undeniably significant. Moreover, individual works reveal identities through poignant narratives and internal conflicts, uncovering complex stories.

Examples of the exhibited works include: a photographic triptych by Beatriz Sokol, which delves into her Jewish ancestry; a dyed canvas banner by Sean Noyce, exploring familial folk magic in the American Old West; a mixed-media painting by Carsten Becker, addressing transgenerational traumas; a “tourist” zine by Alberto Rodríguez, drawing parallels between gentrification in Berlin and Mexico City; suspended soft sculptures by Katya Usvitsky, fostering a dialogue between bodily replication and regeneration; a photograph by Sandra Ratovic, exploring the metamorphosis of brutalist architecture in Eastern Europe through people and nature; and a sculpture by Aline Schwörer, addressing the effects of human intervention on the environment.

As we peel away the identifying features in Birthmark, commonalities emerge within these works, pointing to a shared human experience transcending geographical and temporal boundaries. Their narratives reflect an ongoing evolution in communication between the individual and the community.

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Installation Images

All photos by Carsten Becker, unless noted otherwise

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More information

Opening Reception: Saturday, June 29, 6-9 pm
On view: June 29 – July 5
Hours: Wed – Sat 2-6pm
Closing reception: July 5, 5-8pm
Location: Frontviews at HAUNT Kluckstraße 23A / yard D – 10785 Berlin