Nothing Conceptual: La Meme Era @ La Barra de Paquito, Embajada

 

Nothing Conceptual: La Meme Era @ La Barra de Paquito presents a series of works by Jesús 'Bubu' Negrón pulled from text message exchanges between himself and friend, artist, and collaborator, Radames 'Juni' Figueroa. Through this exchange of digital anecdotal imagery, wry commentary is instigated, better known in contemporary culture as the 'internet meme'. Using this language of contemporary communication, Negrón edits a selection of his personal memes that provoke an ironic reflection on politics, culture, and media. The memes are mounted in laminated frames recalling bargain religious products and displayed in the gallery that has been transformed into a bar borrowing the aesthetics of the local village night spots of Bayamón.

 

The site is named in honor of Radames 'Juni' Figueroa's dog Paquito, inspired by Paquito's typical stance of eagerly standing on his hind legs, paws over the side of a barrier resembling what Negrón amusingly likens to a bartender. He constructs sculptures and paintings made with cardboard from local beer cases to further inform the space. A cardboard slot machine, simulating the locally made and illegitimately rigged machines that can be found in convenience stores across Puerto Rico, stands at Paquito's height. Equipped with a functioning screen visitors are invited to play emphasizing his continued interest in creating a sense of community through artistic collaboration. The site-specific installation includes whimsical interventions from artists invited by Radamés 'Juni' Figueroa and Embajada featuring Trisha Baga, Alex Becerra, Borden Capalino, Bembi, Elizabeth Ferry, helper and Rachel Harrison, Kristen Fink, Leo Fitzpatrick, Adriana Lara, Adriana Martínez, Alex Ramos, Jessie Stead and R. Lyon, Martín Soto Clement, and Devin Troy Strother.

 

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