By clicking on a generic online image of an art gallery, I was instantly transported into what felt a bit like a video game. After hitting play, the camera zoomed toward a 3D model of an exhibit before landing outside the doors. Piano music accompanied by an interview in Spanish played in the background. Using the touchpad on my laptop, I moved around the exhibit and could even zoom in on images and their descriptions. Is this the new normal for viewing gallery shows or visiting a museum?
“Nkame: A Retrospective of Cuban Printmaker Belkis Ayón” is being offered as a virtual exhibit by the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art. Belkis Ayón, an Afro-Cuban artist, worked with myths from Abakúa Secret Society, an Afro-Cuban religion only for men, in her artwork. She created mostly black, white and gray collagraphs, which are a type of textured print. In many of her prints, the texture comes through and she is known for the intense detail in her work.
“You are in the presence of some of the best collagraphs that have ever been made in the history of printmaking,” Cheryl Hartup, curator at the JSMA, said about the exhibit.
As I moved around the exhibit, one piece stood out in the far left corner. On one side of the corner, there is a figure wearing a yellow cape. On the other, a figure with intense eyes. The virtual gallery feels similar to being there in person because the imagery captures the reflection of the lights on the floor and the glare of other parallel images reflected in the glass of some of Ayón’s framed works.
The print, “Sikán,” portrays a figure sitting on a dark throne with a snake on her shoulder moving toward a fish in her lap. The figure has white eyes and black pupils set in contrast to the rest of her gray body. Other than the eyes, the figure has no facial features, lending an almost eerie quality to the piece.
The piece represents an interpretation of Sikán from the mythologies of the Abakúa Secret Society. According to a video in the virtual exhibit, the Abakúa secret society put Sikán to death in order to “recover the sacred voice.” A placard describing the image states that Ayón studied Sikán, who was considered the mother of Abakú society, yet was sacrificed for the society of men. Ayón “created a new narrative with a woman in control,” according to the placard.
Ayón died by suicide in 1999. Knowing this, Hartup, who worked to make this exhibit possible, believes that there is new meaning to Ayón’s work and connection to Sikán.
“After her death, it feels like this is Belkis, this isn’t Sikán here,” Hartup said. “She comes more to the forefront in a very vulnerable way.”
In many images, Sikán is represented as a white figure. Hartup said the color white represents death in the Abakúa Secret Society. The society also sometimes represents Sikán with a drum, which Hartup said symbolizes “bringing back the sacred voice of God,” which the myths claim her sacrifice achieved.
In another image, “La Cena,” a white figure stares back at the viewer. The figure is Sikán, surrounded by nine others. None of the other figures look out at the viewer, suggesting that Sikán holds power. In the image, the collage of different papers and textures is clear. The piece is actually made up of six smaller canvases. By zooming in on the image, the virtual format allows the viewer to see a wide range of detail.
While the name “La Cena,” which translates to dinner in Spanish, suggests that the figures are sharing a meal, none of them are eating the food on the table. Four of the ten figures are seated, Sikán at the center, but most of them are not interacting with each other. Sikán’s eyes are wide and her hands grip the table suggesting feelings of discomfort.
Noticing the discomfort evident in the figures’ mannerisms, I found myself wondering about the significance of this dinner. While the ten figures are clearly together, there is a lack of connection between them. What does this say about the need for human interaction?
“The most important thing that the artist states is that her work poses questions to the human condition,” Hartup said.
The JSMA is opening back up to the public in May, Hartup said. While virtual exhibits do not replace the experience of seeing art in person, Hartup said that the virtual exhibits will most likely continue to be an option, especially to archive major shows.
Access the virtual exhibit here.
