Casa tomada, the third installment of SITE Santa Fe’s tripartite SITElines biennial series, opens this month on August 3. I met with curators Candice Hopkins and Ruba Katrib in early July over drinks at Santa Fe Spirits (unfortunately José Luis Blondet was unable to join us, but contributed to the interview from afar). They were in Santa Fe collaborating over the final touches of the exhibition that will feature twenty-three artists from eight countries, and will include eight new commissioned works. The SITElines biennials have each focused on the art of the Americas, a loose and continually expanding concept that is both unwieldy and endlessly fruitful.
The curatorial team took as inspiration the short story Casa tomada (House taken over) (Julio Cortázar, 1946), in which two siblings are pushed out of their family home by some unseen presence. The story serves as a jumping off point for exploring themes and questions such as ownership, belonging, and displacement.
The biennial festivities kick off with an opening-night party on Thursday, August 2, 6 pm-12 am (ticketed), followed by a free public opening on Friday, August 3, 10 am-7 pm, with artist talks, performances, and programs held throughout the day. See the full schedule of opening weekend events at sitesantafe.org.
tasting notes with
José Luis Blondet
occupation
curator
venue
*José Luis was unable to join us for drinks
drinking
mate, the herbal beverage that the siblings of Casa tomada drink
recommended food pairing
NuMu eggs
recommended film pairing
I am obsessed with Lucrecia Martel’s film Zama (2018). Everybody should go and watch it. Or rent it. Public announcement: the DVD is out this summer
one thing you want to see happen in 2018
a relief of the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, a true “house taken over” by ideology, corruption, and militarism
the biggest challenge you face this year
Casa tomada
the biggest challenge you face tomorrow
a hangover?
what was your first job?
production assistant in a theater play in Caracas
what did it teach you?
that precision is key in working with actors
one thing co-curating has taught you
that precision is key in working with artists
a good quality of a biennial
exuberance
a biennial trend that should die
overdetermined politics
how does SITE Santa Fe’s biennial impact our world?
these biennials are legendary. We even studied one of them in grad school. Personally, I celebrate the focus on the Americas that characterizes this and the last two editions of Sitelines
what comes next?
several projects at LACMA, including the exhibition Merce Cunningham, Clouds and Screens which will open October 28, 2018, and Not I, a permanent collection exhibition using ventriloquism as an organizing principle scheduled for 2019
tasting notes with
Candice Hopkins
occupation
curator and writer
venue
Santa Fe Spirits Tasting Room
drinking
Sage, Rosemary + Thyme with Gin
recommended food pairing
baked polenta fries with green chile crema
recommended book pairing
The Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector
one thing you want to see happen in 2018
the release of migrant and refugee children in detention
the biggest challenge you face this year
how to continually create space for other voices
the biggest challenge you face tomorrow
to finish the text for the biennial’s gallery guide
what was your first job?
horse trainer and tester at a pulp mill
what did it teach you?
how to speak in other tongues
one thing co-curating has taught you
collaboration certainly, that good ideas come from many minds
a good quality of a biennial
that when it returns, it is always in a new form
a biennial trend that should die
inaccessible language and inaccessible art
how does SITE Santa Fe’s biennial impact our world?
art is almost always transfiguring; the biennial does this as well
what comes next?
for me, another biennial, the Toronto Biennial of Art
tasting notes with
Ruba Katrib
occupation
curator, MoMA PS1
venue
Santa Fe Spirits Tasting Room
drinking
virgin Almost-a-Paloma
recommended food pairing
french fries
recommended book pairing
Misère: The Visual Representation of Misery in the 19th Century by Linda Nochlin
one thing you want to see happen in 2018
the end of cruelty
the biggest challenge you face this year
making relevant exhibitions
the biggest challenge you face tomorrow
making my flight
what was your first job?
cashier at a health food store
what did it teach you?
patience
one thing co-curating has taught you
there is always something to learn
a good quality of a biennial
the best linger in memories
a biennial trend that should die
for so long, the same small circle of curators have been assigned to these jobs, finally biennials are branching out
how does SITE Santa Fe’s biennial impact our world?
it’s the only biennial dedicated to the art of the Americas. It is essential to dig into what this can mean
what comes next?
my next shows at MoMA PS1