Julio Torres and Radical Localism at Artists Space
Tumblr can be a major pain in the ass sometimes (don’t ask), but it can also lead to finding amazing acquaintances with artists from around the world. My friend Julio Torres is one such artist who comes from an unusual sector of the world. In the region of Baja California, Mexico lies the boarder city of Mexicali. There Julio is apart of an artist collective known as Mexicali Rose which serves as a nexus for artists, journalists, activists and the like for both sides of the boarder between Mexico and the US.
Julio’s work along with others from Mexicali Rose were chosen to be represented in SoHo gallery Aritsts Space. Here’s some more info on the group:
“Founded by Mexicali-born filmmaker Marco Vera in 2007 as an audio-visual workshop for neighborhood kids in border-adjacent Pueblo Nuevo, the workshop quickly expanded to include craft and trade classes, a community gallery exhibiting the work of local and international artists, a cinema club that showcases the work of Mexican and foreign filmmakers, and a radio station formed to provide a free and uncensored platform for local youth.” –Artist Space
It makes me really happy that a NYC gallery would take such a prolific yet seemingly unknown local art center and put their work on display. I was so happy to see that Julio would have things on display so I ran on downtown to SoHo to check it out. Julio’s work along with a few others represented the underlying but still very vibrant queer culture that exists within Mexico.
Check out more from the show’s pamphlet and if you’re in NYC go check it out! It’s open until May 27th.
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