Co-sponsored by M-DCC Wolfson Centre Gallery & Tigertail Productions

Curated by Kate Rawlinson

September 10 - October 16, 1998

Reception for the Artists
Thursday, September 10, 5:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Centre Gallery, Wolfson Campus, Room 1350
300 NE Second Avenue, Downtown Miami
Gallery hours: Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
For more information, phone the gallery: 305 237 3696

Says curator, Kate Rawlinson "The exhibition The Present Absent: Five Artists from Rio features five young artists from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil -- Efrain Almeida, Eduardo Coimbra, Fernanda Gomes, Rosana Palazyan and Mauricio Ruiz -- who manipulate the mundane materials and objects of modern life. Through their work, these artists challenge the concepts of tradition and culture as they address the relativity of meaning, the malleability of memory and the ephemeral nature of the objects and events that shape our lives. Carved body parts, discarded articles of daily life and common kitsch objects are often strategically placed in contexts that produce a sense of estrangement and uncertainty. In many ways, the exhibition speaks to how we endure, how we negotiate the dynamic changes taking place today, the loss of familiarity and of certainty, as well as the role played by violence, nature, and the religious or spiritual realms of our lives.

This exhibition is made possible through generous support from:

The Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation
Official Festival Airline - Transbrasil Airlines
Official Festival Airline - Miami River Inn
With the support of the Miami-Dade County Cultural Affairs Council and the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners