The Elder Gallery of Contemporary Art is pleased to present part two of the ground-breaking exhibition experience named and designed by six visionary Charlotte-based artists who buck the system and challenge art world norms. Off the Plantation: The Emancipation, features Carla Aaron-Lopez (aka kingcarla), Dammit Wesley, Fart.PDF, Kiana Mui, Kyle Mosher and Sir Will.
American plantations did not simply die and become ghosts of the south on January 13, 1865. The plantation has disguised itself under the hood of American capitalism, and the cruelty of plantation culture has served as capitalism’s NOS-filled engine firmly rooting itself into the DNA of America.
On the plantation, capitalism grew into a unique economy where white is right and the dollar rules everything around me. A powerful system that was created to support institutional racism that exploits those who conform to whiteness and punishes those who do not. No institution has been spared.
In the art world, the heartless capitalistic message is transmitted by unspoken musts, where success is celebrated in hushed spaces of refinement – by educational pedigree – with high society endorsements. To be included is rare. To be accepted can mean conformity.
Off the Plantation is about emancipation from the capitalistic values that deliver a message of exclusion. This show marks the revolution of the artist. We are working our way #offtheplantation.
The exhibition runs through May 22, 2021.
To learn more about the gallery please visit www.eldergalleryclt.com. To read an in depth article on the show and artist-curators pls take a look at https://www.charlotteobserver.com/article247553895.html
