Tanda Fall 2023

Join us every Monday evenings starting October 2nd for conversations and language work with the Fall 2023 cohort.

Session Details
Dates:Mondays, 10/02 – 11/06
Times: 6:30-8:30pm CT / 7:30-9:30pm ET
Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88524385169
Meeting ID: 885 2438 5169

Closed Captions Available
Sessions are recorded only for the cohort’s reference and are not posted online.

10/02 Contextualizing the Mexican Milagros: Agents of Relational Anatomy
Alexis de Chaunac

I have been working with the imagery of Milagros, charm-like metal objects, votive sculptural images of body parts, isolated limbs and organs that can be used for healing purposes and as votive offerings. During centuries, Milagros were used as magical objects to ward-off disease, pain, and misfortune. I am intrigued how the forms operate both individually and in communication with one another, creating a hieroglyphic lexicon waiting to be deciphered as Milagros have metaphorical connotations too. The depiction of an isolated, fragmented foot could signify that it is meant to protect a person undertaking a journey. Through interpreting the Milagros, I would like to showcase how they can still be very much relevant in Mexican culture today. Some of the interrogations I have and I would love to have your insights are: How can they bridge the transcendental and the vernacular? What each body part signifies culturally, for myself and for others? How were they inspired and hybridized from the catholic Ex Votos coming from Spain? What are the differences with rituals in other cultures, for instance the wooden limbs in Japan?

Alexis de Chaunac is a Mexican-French visual artist working between painting, drawing, collage and installation. He completed his MFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2022 and a BA from Sarah Lawrence College in 2014. He is a recipient of the Dedalus Foundation Fellowship and the Fundación Jumex de Arte Contemporáneo grant. His works have been exhibited in galleries and museums including Galleria Ramo in Como, Italy (2022), Sargent’s Daughters in New York (2019) and Carrillo Gil Art Museum in Mexico City (2017). He has been featured and given interviews to publications such as Whitewall, Whitehot Magazine and Artsy’s Editorial. He lives and works in Chicago, IL and is currently a BOLT resident at Chicago Artists Coalition. He approaches his work like an archeologist, uncovering layers of our collective experience. His body of work is the result of his personal connection to his Mexican and French heritage, as well as his interwoven cultural histories.

Fall Tanda 2023 Syllabus

10/02 – Contextualizing the Mexican Milagros: Agents of Relational Anatomy, Alexis de Chaunac
10/16 – Into Conversation: Temporality, Power and the Interview, Ian Carstens
10/23 – Amor Eterno: Luchar por la Vida, Araceli Zuniga
10/30 – Consider a Disappearance, Ruby Que
11/06 – Bridging Diasporic Divides: Synthesizing Family Through Visual Art, Natasha Moustache

About the Tanda Program
Interweaving the formats of seminars, book clubs, research groups, and tandas, Tanda is a cohort program that aids individuals with their research and practice through self-directed and collective learning. It is a program providing time and space to gather, share, think and exchange conversations, resources, and knowledge on participants’ chosen topics. Tanda is a resource program by Chuquimarca.

About Chuquimarca
Chuquimarca is an art library project tasked to gather and share resources related to contemporary art and art histories. It gathers art books, programs a seasonal research group called Tanda, and a summer art writing residency called Muña (with online art publication Sixty Inches From Center).

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Tags: Alexis de Chaunac, Chuquimarca