Avant-garde immigrant street art is loud and proud at El Museo del Barrio, NYC

El Museo's Bienal: The (S) Files 2011 is El Museo del Barrio's sixth biennial of the most innovative, cutting-edge art created by Latino, Caribbean, and Latin American artists currently working in the greater New York area. This year's edition spreads all over the city, showcasing a record 75 emerging artists in seven different venues. Aiming to expand the definition of contemporary Latino and Latin American art, The (S) Files 2011 takes on a broad exploration of the visual energy, events, and aesthetics of the street. While considering the more conventional understandings of street art such as graffiti and mural painting, The (S) Files 2011 extends the definition of street art by also considering non-traditional art objects as well as works from other disciplines, including music and fashion.

El Museo del Barrio, New York's leading Latino cultural institution, welcomes visitors of all backgrounds to discover the artistic landscape of Latino, Caribbean, and Latin American cultures

Outdoor installation at entrance to The (S) Files 2011

Antonia A Perez (b.1951, New York) Black Dollies, 2011 Crocheted plastic bags

Juan Hinojosa (b. 1980, New York) Men in Spandex, 2011 Mixed media installation

COPE2 / Fernando Carlo, Jr (b. 1968 Bronx, New York) and INDIE184 / Soraya Marquez (b. 1980 RioPiedras, Puerto Rico) Our World, 2011 Mixed media. COPE 2 was a major presence on the 4 train in early 1983. he first founded the Kids Destroy crew in 1982.  Among COPE2's ventures are a book, a documentary and a line of Sneakers by Adidas and Converse  With her Kweenz Destroy label, INDIE 184 has created an entire line of wearable graffiti since 2006.

 

Among the themes developed in The (S) Files 2011 are the influence of early New York street art movements, text and urban styles, and the creation of art works from urban debris. The variety of issues addressed by the artists range from daily life situations, to social behaviors, to economic distress. A couple of great examples above.

“El Museo’s Bienal: The (S) Files 2011” continues through Jan. 8 at El Museo del Barrio, 1230 Fifth Avenue, at 104th Street, East Harlem; (212) 831-7272, elmuseo.org.