BIOTA was a commissioned art installation for the 516 Arts exhibition entitled Species in Peril along the Rio Grande, September- December 2019. 516 ARTS and partners presented this exhibition and series of regional public programs responding to the global biological crisis described in the new UN Report that officially state that nature’s dangerous decline is “unprecedented,” and species extinction rates are accelerating at an alarming pace. According to a recent New York Times editorial, the report says, “‘Biodiversity’ — a word encompassing all living flora and fauna — ‘is declining faster than at any time in human history,’ estimating that ‘around 1 million species already face extinction, many within decades,’ unless the world takes transformative action to save natural systems.” The artists were invited to create an installation to generate awareness to an endangered species. BIOTA focused on microbial species found in water and soil and their vital role to the health of the planet’s ecosystem. See Gallery.
Events
Space@PASEO 2018 Festival
Agnes (Co-Founder of The PASEO Festival) curated the 2018 PASEO festival with the theme of SPACE.
Exploring inner and outer space, artistically, socially and scientifically. From self identity to space exploration to human impact on the environment our definition of who we are, where we come from and where we are going are in a state of flux. As powerful scientific instruments and new media tools expand our senses, allowing us to see into the farthest corners of the universe and the invisible spaces within our bodies and minds, we begin to grasp the enormous power and potential of humanity. Further, with quantum physics and astrophysics revealing an interdependent universe in line with indigenous worldviews, we have an unprecedented opportunity for intercultural exchange and cooperation. PASEO artists have created immersive and participatory installations that bring together new technologies, scientific explorations and socio-cultural themes. PASEO 2018’s festival forefronted the role of art, science and technology in contemplating our place in nature and re-imagining society. Participants’ senses were activated, curiosities stimulated, and minds transported to a wondrous universe in flux.
Curatorial contributors: Anita McKeown and Ariane Koek.
Albuquerque Wonder Cabinet: Tamarind Institute
Precision and Imagination, a weekend-long Wonder Cabinet, pitched squarely along the borderlands between Art & Science.
PARTICLE PHYSICS AND NATIVE AMERICAN COSMOLOGIES
April 20-22, 2018
This session featured Taos-based artist Agnes Chavez, who is currently collaborating with CERN to create an installation to visualize data from the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland, with Greg Cajete, a Tewa Indian from Santa Clara Pueblo and the director of Native American Studies at The University of New Mexico, in a conversation about Chavez, her work, and its resonances with Native American cosmologies.
(x)trees at GDLuz: Catedral de Guadalajara
New Mexico artist/educator, Agnes Chavez and projection artist, Joe Abraham Dean were invited to project the (x)trees in Guadalajara as part of the U.S. Arts Envoy Sister City initiative. (x)trees is a video projection that will generate a forest of dynamically growing trees on to the Guadalajara Cathedral. The tree branches are generated from messages collected from participants of the Sister City initiative between Albuquerque and Guadalajara, capturing the collective spirit of the two countries through text messages. Branch by branch the trees form and the messages from each branch are displayed for a fleeting moment. The (x)trees represent our universal connection to each other through nature and technology.
Sister Cities International hosted its first-ever U.S.-Mexico Sister Cities Mayors Summit in Guadalajara February 15-16, 2018. Designed to promote grassroots citizen diplomacy and the concept of cross-border, city-to-city collaboration in the 21st century, the summit addressed themes related to immigration, innovation, economic integration, trade, and security. Agnes and Joe Dean projected the (x)trees for the summit luncheon as a way to underscore the power of art and technology to act as cross-cultural communication tools and binding agents between cities.
Agnes shared her work and STEAM initiatives in a tour to high schools and universities throughout the city organized by the Consulate General of Guadalajara. Follow (x)trees in Guadalajara on Facebook!
Agnes Chavez is the founder of the STEMarts Lab and cofounder of The Paseo Project outdoor arts festival in Taos.
Post by Janet Web. Beyond Taos adapted for this site.
In Pursuit of the Creative Life: The Future of Arts and Creativity in America
I’ll be joining a discussion on the future of the arts on November 18, 2016 at #CreativityConnects w/ a great panel of art leaders and creative thinkers. Be sure to follow!
Listen in on what creative thinkers from across the country and across sectors say about how creativity manifests itself in different fields and how we can make more tools, resources, and opportunities accessible to those who want to pursue a creative life. On November 18, “In Pursuit of the Creative Life: The Future of Arts and Creativity in America” will explore these topics and more. Watch the live-stream of the panel sessions starting at 10 am on arts.gov! #CreativityConnects
10:00 am Framing Panel: The Here and Now of Arts and Creativity
@creativecap – Suzy Delvalle
@STEMartslab – Agnes Chavez
@shirletteammons – Shirlette Ammons
@mica – Sammy Hoi