Atopy. Migration, Legacy and Absence of Place

"Atopy, Migration, Legacy and Absence of Place" is an exhibition developed by the Museo de Arte Moderno in Bogota, in collaboration with the Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary Foundation (TBA21). Open until June 4 of 2016, the exhibition presents works from the contemporary art collection of TBA21 that reflect a growing interest among contemporary artists for narratives associated with specific places. From the Greek word ατοπ¿α—"without place," out of place, special, unusual, extraordinary—the word atopy is traditionally used to refer to otherness, difference, expulsion and exclusion, as it alludes to the indescribable and the absolute. It is in this double connotation, when the term becomes a productive device that elicits reflection on the different ways in which artists have addressed notions of place, geography, migration, legacy, and the intersection of national, social and cultural borders. Thus, "Atopy. Migration, Legacy and Absence of Place" centers on the adverse aspects of homogenization and standardization and examines the practices and forms of representation used by artists to practice, participate and negotiate the concepts of "place" or "place of origin," past, cultural legacies and their ambiguities, with all the questions that these notions generate. The show was curated by Daniela Zyman (TBA21) and Valentina Gutiérrez (MAMBO), and coordinated by Andrea Wild-Botero. The exhibition aims to generate a dialog that underscores similarities and differences through the contemplation of, and immersion into, works like: Staircase V by Do Ho Suh (Seoul, Korea); the recreation of an exhibition, suspended in time like a photograph, by Los Carpinteros (Cuba); and I Wish Your Whish by Brazilian artist Rivane Neuenschwander, an installation consisting of hundreds of colorful ribbons, each with a wish printed on it, which visitors can take with them, and a space on which to write a new wish—at the end of the day, a member of the museum staff gathers the ribbons and sends them to the artist, who includes the new wishes in a database already filled with the wishes and their places of origin of thousands of people. "Atopy. Migration, Legacy and Absence of Place" underscores the way in which a 21st century art collection is constructed from the diverse experiences of the individuals and groups that participate in different cultural processes and realities. It also showcases how the shifting political and economic realities have created new stories about places and the manner in which they have generated momentum to document the rapid transformation processes set in motion by the new "continental changes." Participating artists: Allora & Calzadilla, Jonathas de Andrade, Taysir Batniji, John Bock, Monica Bonvicini, Abraham Cruzvillegas, Mario García-Torres, Carl Michael von Hausswolffy, Thomas Nordanstad, Mathilde ter Heijne, Sanja Ivekovic, Brad Kahlhamer, Los Carpinteros, Paulo Nazareth, Rivane Neuenschwander, Walid Raad/The Atlas Group, Alex Rodríguez, and Do Ho Suh.