Jorge Rojas- My space: Miami

Miami, FL- July 2009- Diaspora Vibe Gallery will host artists Jorge Rojas as artist in residence for its July/August exhibition. Gallery opening night reception will be held on Friday July 31, 2009 from 7:00-10:00 PM at 3938 N. Miami Ave, in the Miami Design District.

My space: Miami by Jorge Rojas
Jorge Rojas will create My space: Miami, his fifth in the last calendar year in a series of interactive works entitled ‘Live Gestures’. The series started in Guadalajara, Mexico in August of 2008 and has since been in Brooklyn, NY, Bronx, NY and West Chicago, IL. My space will serve as the artist’s residence and studio for 7 days, during which time he will live, work, eat and sleep, as well as interact with the public both in the gallery and online through a 24/7 live video broadcast on BlogTV.com at http://www.blogtv.com/People/myspace .

Rojas will take residence in his My space structure from July 30th - August 5th. “In each installment of the My space project I explore three main issues: how technology is changing the way we communicate; how we view and interact with art and each other; and the importance of these processes in art and in our daily lives” says Rojas. With My space: Miami, Rojas will explore themes of social voyeurism, boundaries of privacy, and their relationship to technology. Rojas will construct a 14’ X 14’ X 8’ box made of cardboard and wood. The interior of My space will be minimally furnished with a bed, desk, fan, computer, and a lamp and will also include a door, windows, screens, peepholes, curtains, optical lenses and other viewing devices made from plastics, textiles, and other materials selected for their varying levels of transparency and opacity. These devices will serve as a tool for the artist to invite the public to interact with him within the structure as well as to indulge their natural voyeuristic impulses.

“I’m also inviting the community to bring images such as postcards, photographs, posters, record covers, drawings, etc. that will hang in My space and live on permanently as part of the art installation,” says the artist. The audience- both in the gallery and online is as important to this project; their participation will, in many ways, activate and determine the outcome. Rojas wants his audience to come prepared to chat, collaborate on some artworks, dance, goof off and actively participate. He leaves lots of room for spontaneity, improvisation and indeterminacy between the public and himself. “Someone may decide they want to come inside the actual structure for a more direct interactive experience; which would open up a whole other level of possibilities. During the week that I live in My space, I will completely depend on the local community for my food. I plan to exchange artworks for meals and food items. I'm not asking for charity; I'm just saying "Will Trade Art For Food" and in doing so I'm demystifying the process of exhibiting, selling or buying art. I’m doing this to make a statement about the art industry’s system, its mechanics and how people still have this crazy notion that artists need to suffer or starve in order to make good work,” says Rojas.

About Jorge Rojas
Jorge Rojas was born in Morelos, Mexico. He studied Art at the University of Utah and at Bellas Artes in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where he focused on painting and sculpture. Jorge has exhibited across the United States, Mexico, and India and his work is included in numerous private and public collections including The Mexican Museum in San Francisco and The Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, CA. Jorge currently resides in Brooklyn, NYC and works as an artist, artist educator and curator.

About Diaspora Vibe Gallery & Diaspora Vibe Incubator:
Located in Miami's Design District, Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator promotes, nurtures and cultivates the vision and diverse talents of emerging artists from the Latin and Caribbean Diasporas through an artist-in-residence program, international exchanges, community arts events and a dynamic exhibition program at the Diaspora Vibe Gallery. Founded by its current Executive Director/Curator, Rosie Gordon-Wallace, Diaspora Vibe is celebrating fourteen years.