The Tanda program is a cohort program that aids individuals with their research and practice through self-directed and collective learning by way of gathering and sharing resources, conversations, and knowledge.

Starting Sept 29th to Nov 3rd, join us every Wednesday, 6-8pm CT / 7-9pm ET to share resources, conversations and knowledge! This season we are being generously hosted by AMFM as part of their residency at Compound Yellow.

Join Tanda via Zoom
Register here: https://bit.ly/3kMIUGx
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OR

Join in-person at Compound Yellow
244 Lake St, Oak Park, IL 60302

Tanda Fall 2021 Cohort

Hugo Ivan Juarez
Agustine Zegers
River Kerstetter
Alkebuluan Merriweather
Marcelo Eli Sarmiento
Juan Arango Palacios

Tanda Fall 2021 Topics and Schedule

09/29 – Rasquachismo and the Underdog Mentality

“I was introduced to this term by some fellow graduate students who have a similar upbringing as mine. It was like discovering a key to explain our process when making art. Through collective learning I want to investigate this term deeply in order to contextualize it in a contemporary context.” – Hugo Ivan Juarez

10/06 – Agenciamentos Olfativos / The Agency of Scent

“I am interested in the world of olfaction for many reasons. One is that our sense of smell has been historically devalued through the machinations of European-colonial thought guided by the “hierarchy of the senses.” Our sense of smell is one of two of our chemical senses and it allows us to communicate with land, other species, and each other. It also allows us to perceive subtle chemical shifts in our environment caused by, for example, rampant pollution and industrial extractivism. I’d like to delve into the sense of smell critically, while also providing moments of embodiment through our conversations by engaging in scent exercises.” -agustine zegers

10/13 – Pre-colonial Indigenous Urban Planning and How to Imagine Indigenous Cities of the Future

“Ever since I was a kid I’ve been fascinated and inspired of Indigenous urban planning. I grew up visiting Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon, Ancestral Puebloan cities that are masterpieces of sustainable, holistic urban planning. In college I studied the urban planning of Peru and saw many parallels in how people used science and spiritual practices to design spaces to accommodate many people and a variety of social activities in ways that worked with the local environment. I’ve always been frustrated that histories of “civilization” often erase Indigenous societies and cities. I wonder how elevating and studying Indigenous cities might inform how we can reimagine a post-colonial post-capitalist world.” -River Kerstetter

10/20 – Reconceptualizing the Madonna and Child through Archival Praxis

“As an archivist I’m interested in exploring black matriarchy through photography. Particularly through found images and research. I became interested in this work in response to my family losing one of our own matriarchs. Who are some artists that I should be aware of, that dive into archives for their art practice and methodologies? Has there been recent discourse about the Moynihan report? Are there any zines/books/exhibition catalogues I should consider reading as it relates to my topic? What does “care” look like when one is building an archive on a particular subject? What are the names of the scholars who have conducted psychological research on the impact of being the black matriarch/backbone of the family? How does one ethically/consciously produce work from found imagery?” – Alkebuluan Merriweather

10/27 – Convictions of the Classics: On the Presence & Erasure of Black and Brown Bodies in Classic and Mesoamerican Art

“I’m interested in this subject because I want to connect more with my heritage. Being from the US there is a disconnect and distance to the subject and source. To be a part of something larger than myself. When I’m creating works inspired by the Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures, I feel connected to the rich history of artists like Ruffino Tomayo, Diego Rivera, and Saturnino Herran.” -Marcelo Eli Sarmiento

11/03 – Neo Perreo: Challenging Misogyny and Homophobia in Reggaeton Culture

“The aim of this research topic is to create a vernacular around the neo perreo subculture that has emerged in the night-life scenes of cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, Mexico City, and Buenos Aires. Empowering queer fem artists, this genre of music empowers those who were often degraded or overlooked in traditional reggaeton culture. Spearheaded by artists such as Ms. Nina, Tomasa del Real, and Sailor Fag, this cultural safe-haven creates a music and visual culture that prioritizes marginalized groups in Latinx, and Latinx American music scene. How do these artists use visual language to empower themselves, their peers, and their listeners? How can this music be applied to visual arts, mainstream media, and a global platform? Does this sub-genre function as a form of reclamation, and if so what is it reclaiming and how is it regenerating it’s own narrative to stray away from the traditional Reggaeton culture whose roots run deep in many aspects of Latin American culture?” – Juan Arango Palacios

For more information on the Tanda program, please visit our website: chuquimarca.com/tanda or email info@chuquimarca.com.

Hugo Ivan Juarez was born in Dallas, TX but currently lives in Chicago, IL. One city is home and the other has become a learning ground. He navigates these two worlds within the context of the Mexican-American culture that he identifies with. His art process involves repurposing materials and making objects that become evidence of what the artist sees. The artwork is currently taking its shape in the form of prints, installations, photographs, videos, essays, and poems

agustine zegers is a Chilean artist, writer, and bacterial community dedicated to the worlds of olfaction and symbiosis. Their work uses text, olfaction, and ritual in an attempt to comprehend and commune with flows of ecological collapse as well to question the pervasive systems that produce them. Their work has been exhibited at Critical Distance in Canada, Galería Metropolitana in Chile, and the Sharjah Art Foundation in the UAE. Their work has been published by the Institute of Queer Ecology, the Laboratory for Aesthetics and Ecology, DIS Magazine, and Genderfail Press.

River Kerstetter is a citizen of the Oneida and an artist and writer who believes that art and storytelling are vital parts of collective healing and connection, especially in Indigenous, Two-Spirit, and LGBTQIA+ communities who fight to be seen and safe every day. River has taught art for youth and young adults for eight years, including at Marwen, the Chicago Center for Arts & Technology, Columbia College Chicago, and Working Classroom in Albuquerque, NM. She is a co-founder of TIES, a reading series that celebrates Indigenous, Two-Spirit, and LGBTQ+ writers.

Alkebuluan Merriweather is a Chicago born and raised artist who received her BA in Art History from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2019. Her work explores blackness and collective memory through various mediums such as collage,ephemera,and photography. She is most known for her previous archival project titled theblackmatriarcharchive alongside its reiteration homage blk madonnas.

Marcelo Eli Sarmiento is a self taught painter based in Chicago. Eli’s work seeks to recontextualize Pre-Colombian art by painting these images into mythologies, such as the structure of the universe, shamans, warriors, eternal youth, and death. Eli has participated in group exhibitions throughout Chicago and New York including recently Fridman Gallery, Uncurated Gallery as well as artist-run spaces such as Heaven Gallery, The Hyde Park Art Center, Wedge Projects, AMFM, and Chuquimarca in Chicago Marcelo’s solo exhibitions include Hindman Auctioneers, Congruent Space, Blanc Gallery, and Compound Yellow.

Juan Arango Palacios was born in Pereira, Colombia, and was raised in a traditional Catholic home. Their traditional upbringing was cut short by a series of migrations that their family took seeking a better future. The family moved from Colombia to southern Louisiana where Juan’s sense of identity and belonging began to be skewed by their lack of knowledge of the English language, their unfamiliarity with American culture, and their internal struggle with a queer identity. Living in other parts of Louisiana and Texas, and being further subdued by the conservative culture in which they lived, Juan continued to live with a constant fear of their own identity throughout their youth. Juan graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and has found a safe-haven within the queer community in Chicago.

AMFM is a brand for artists and the people. We support emerging and established interdisciplinary artists by offering a platform to showcase their work on a larger scale and to the public through our community engagement, web content, and curated events. AMFM is currently based in Chicago.

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Tags: Agustine Zegers, Alkebuluan Merriweather, AMFM, Chuquimarca, Compound Yellow, Hugo Ivan Juarez, Juan Arango-Palacios, Marcelo Eli Sarmiento, Oak Park, River Kerstetter, TANDA: Reconceptualizing the Madonna and Child through Archival Praxis