September 27 - November 16, 2024
From DiverseWorks:
“DiverseWorks is pleased to announce the presentation of River on Fire, an exhibition and symposium that explores artists’ responses to the impacts and effects of environmental crisis and climate change. The exhibition opens on Friday, September 27, 2024, at 5 PM, at DiverseWorks in the MATCH Gallery at 3400 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77002. River on Fire will be on view through November 16th. Gallery Hours are Thursdays – Saturdays, 12 – 6 pm. Admission is free.
River on Fire is a multidisciplinary exhibition showcasing the work of 14 artists who respond to environmental crises and climate change. The featured artists: Carolina Aranibar-Fernández (San Francisco, CA), Brandon Ballengée (New Orleans, LA), Alana Bartol (Calgary, Alberta, Canada), Christina Battle (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada), Hannah Chalew (New Orleans, LA), Lili Chin (New York, NY), Willow Naomi Curry (Houston, TX), Morel Doucet (Miami, FL), Heather L. Johnson (Houston, TX), Ayanna Jolivet Mccloud (Houston, TX), Laura Napier (Ann Arbor, MI), Joe Robles IV (Pasadena, TX), Manuel Alejandro Rodríguez-Delgado (Roswell, NM/Puerto Rico), and Zuyva Sevilla (Albuquerque, NM) bring attention to pressing ecological issues. Through artistic research and lived experience, they highlight the unique environmental challenges facing local, regional, and national landscapes.
Curated by Ashley DeHoyos Sauder, the exhibition draws inspiration from a long history of environmental activism related to river fires across the nation— events that have significantly shaped understandings of ecological preservation and environmental advocacy. One such event is the 1994 San Jacinto River Fire, which was triggered by heavy rains and flooding that caused eight pipelines to rupture and undermined 29 others. This disaster led to the release of over 35,000 barrels (approximately 1.47 million gallons) of petroleum and petroleum products into the San Jacinto River near I-10 on October 20, 1994 (as reported by the National Transportation Safety Board,1996).
Known as the “Energy Capital of the World,” Houston is home to more than 1,100 oilfield service companies and over 180 pipelines transporting goods nationwide. The city has a long history of environmental disasters. Located 50 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico, the region is an epicenter of climate and environmental changes, vulnerable to extreme weather events and industry-related issues. The area grapples with chronic air quality issues, contaminated land, water quality concerns, and the ongoing need to address how these factors will affect the future.
Through creative action and building a historical understanding of these types of cataclysmic events, River on Fire seeks to provide a platform for conversation and awareness of ongoing environmental issues. The relationship between living in a city dominated by industry and co-existing with environmental disaster in the wake of climate change has brought the city’s resilience into question and increased concerns over the continuation of industry practices that place people and the natural world at risk. As Houston continues to grow, the effects of climate change have become increasingly severe— record heat waves, flooding, more frequent and intense hurricanes, and massive power outages are clear signs that we already have to confront new and different ways of being. River on Fire asks: how do artists and creative practices shift the narrative and introduce possible solutions in a city with such a complex ecosystem?
River on Fire includes internal evaluations of DW exhibition practices and implementation of sustainable exhibition design developed through a year-long Climate Coaching Pilot with the Teiger Foundation and Rute Collective, a Canadian-based environmental consultant. The impetus for the project comes in part from Houston’s entwined history with the oil, gas, and chemical industries and the curator’s youth spent living in Houston-area neighborhoods close to these industries.
River on Fire is presented in conversation with the eighth iteration of the Texas Biennial The Last Sky, co-curated by Ashley DeHoyos Sauder, Erika Mei Chua Holum, and Coka Treviño. Biennial artists featured in River on Fire include Brandon Ballengée, Heather L. Johnson, Ayanna Jolivet Mccloud, Laura Napier & Zuyva Sevilla.
For more details about the exhibition and related programs please visit the DiverseWorks website.”
Reception: September 27, 2024 | 12:01–12:01 am
Special event: November 8, 2024 | 6–8 pm
Art + Climate Justice Symposium
3400 Main Street, Suite 292
Houston, 77002 TX
713 223-8346
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