On Jupiter

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David Antonio Cruz, welaughedinthefacesofkingsneverafraidtoburn, 2020, Oil and latex on wood panel, 40 x 30 inches, Courtesy of the artist and Monique Meloche Gallery, Chicago

David Antonio Cruz, welaughedinthefacesofkingsneverafraidtoburn, 2020, Oil and latex on wood panel, 40 x 30 inches, Courtesy of the artist and Monique Meloche Gallery, Chicago

“On Jupiter” is an exhibition curated from The Beth Rudin DeWoody Collection in collaboration with The Center for Studying Structures of Race and The Joanne Leonhardt Cassullo Center for Art at Roanoke College. The works selected will focus on intersectionality as it relates to the imagined future. Examples of subject matter include gender, sex, race, class, sexuality, and spirituality. Sculptures will serve as monuments to the experience while other mediums inform change through representation, celebration, or contemplation.

“On Jupiter” is derived from the discography of Sun Ra and his Arkestra, which explores the mythical dimensions of space whose mysteries are ambiguously relevant both to the past and the present. In Vedic astrology, Jupiter is known as JIVA, the consciousness of the soul representing the individuality of self. To be “On Jupiter” is to be present with the highest self. The works in this show are curated as a monument to this higher self and celebrates artists whose vision intensifies the awareness of cosmic connections. The revitalization of monuments across the country inspired the aesthetic of the selected works. Photographs memorializing loved ones, colorful mantras in spray paint, community gardens, flickering candles placed at the steps with people gathering to cook, make music, and dance. The statues prove that creating new planets is possible. That our energy can create its own gravity and pull others into its orbit. The catalytic action for change can form a pillar of hope. And future monuments will be erected with new materials, otherworldly visions, and love.