The DAMS 2

The Dams 3 invite with image by Melanie Schiff

Invite for The DAMS 2 (cover image: Melanie Schiff "see through")

The DAMS 2 took place at the former site of The Museum of Contemporary Art of Puerto Rico (MAC) at the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón. It was a cavernous space with faded gray carpeting and the depressing charisma of a typical Puerto Rican governmental institution. In many ways, the works were forced to fit the space as some walls still had chalky colors and stenciled lettering on them from previous exhibitions. The DAMS opened during the second edition of the Circa Art Fair and foot traffic during those days was heavy, including a visit from curators Laura Hoptman, Massimiliano Gioni, and a group of board members from the New Museum. Works (L-R): W&N, Cristina Tufiño and Gamaliel Rodriguez.

detail of Jason Villegas

"unititled" light box by collective W&N

Rogelio Báez "Miss-ED" This banner, the same one that graced the entrance to Photo Miami Art Fair '06, disappeared from this wall for days. After numerous meetings with institutional bureaucrats and the President of the University, it was discovered that Dean Pedro Fraile, acting under the the thumb Socorro Julia, a hardcore Catholic nun who's pretty much the face of the University, had it removed on the basis that lesbians kissing in public was detrimental to the community. (Take note: The image is that of a woman kissing her reflection in the mirror). A smaller second version of "Miss-ED" located at the main entrance to the library was never found.

L.M. Rodríguez "Beer Bottle Banner Ballet"

Also a victim of attempted censorship due to the fact that, the beer banners were closely located to classrooms devoted to AA nightly meetings. It was thought that the beer banners could induce relapse. In the end L.M. Rodríguez was forced to display a sign explaining that the banners were part of an art exhibition and not a beer advertisement.

Gean Moreno

"Black Zodiac"

Entrance to the main room decorated with a Photo Miami banner, a sort of homage/displacement piece to the original setting of The DAMS. On the top left is "Flat Security Services," a piece by Juan Carlos Rodríguez and Gamaliel Rodriguez -Ayala that was the official image for Art LA '07.

W&N 's postcard rack "GO TO PR USA"

Each image illustrates the less favorable and more native face of Old San Juan. The work tries to exploit the cliched vision of international curators that feed on the supposed aesthetic value of misery of the marginal Puertorican artist.

Gean Moreno, Jason Villegas, Stefano Pasquini

"Promosexual cellular display" by Jason Villegas

wall instalation made in colored tape, suit, Lacoste pacthes, ceramic

"Children From Mars by the Misfits"

arab translation in gold leaf on paper by Davis Langlois

Jacob Marchosky from the "Paradox in a Loss Faith" series

acrylic on clear plastic

the Dog House for Carmen Correa by unknown and a banner by Gardy Perez

on the wall Gardy Pérez "Flags"

floor piece in scrap materials "The Dog House ( to CC Contemporary)" by Gamaliel Rodríguez and Juan Carlos Rodríguez

found packaging materials from a Papo Colo piece, not related to The Dams, but on display just because it looked cool and sort of melancholy

"black rainbow" banner overlooking the site by Joseph Hardesty

square collaged banner installation: Luis Agosto-Leduc

Herminio Rodríguez

L.M. Rodriguez, Davis Langlois, Gean Moreno, W&N

partial view of The DAMS 2

partial view of The DAMS 2

center piece "see through" by Melanie Schiff

students from Universidad Sagrado Corazon collaborate with Gean Moreno

Students from the course ART 115: Modern and Contemporary Practice, along with Instructor Pedro Velez, installing Gean Moreno's collage/quilt "Black Zodiac." Visitors were encouraged to post advertisement and other ephemera on the piece. Some rock band did as well as theater people. "Zodiac" would later go on tour with bands Ron Calavera and Tropiezo, the quilt became a traveling flag were people could just do anything to it. (Remnants of Zodiac and documentation were returned to Gean Moreno).

"Black Zodiac" at some seedy bar during the tour of Ron Calavera / Tropiezo

artist and sound curator Jorge Castro gives a lecture on Noise Art

"Ramsey Light Box" by W&N

detail of Gean Moreno's Black Zodiac

Michelle Miner (Sachsehausen), Gamaliel Rodriguez drawing installation and Gardy Perez posters

In all THE DAMS 2 was a collaborative effort, works would overlap each other, there were no boundaries or even individuality. Here the high contrast of "Shennhaussen" by Michelle Miner rests on top of a found advertisement. Drawn text in the bubble reads "The Dams" is by Gamaliel Rodríguez-Ayala. On the right "Flags," a rendering of three variations of "Dam -u" by Gardy Pérez

Jakob Marchosky and Rogelio Baez at work

Rogelio Báez and Jakob Marchosky during installation

detail of "Black Zodiac"

Caroline Gil "666"

(For the record : Medalla is the National beer of Puerto Rico and the cheapest too)

W&N Lighbox and magnets (on the second floor)

light box of tattoed boy and fridge magnets of dirty doves by W&N

In the corner London's Photocopy Me/Andy Moore. Visitors could make their own free copies, copies and more copies from editions of Photocopy Me. The idea is that in the end the copies of copies of the magazines would become invisible, almost abstract prints.

Artist included in Photocopy Me:


Francis Bickerdike


Lee Boulton


William Broome


Nic Burrows

Luke Drozd

Will Edmonds

Jemma Egan

Sarah Fellows

Proper Gandhi

Johners

Michael Lawton

Drew Millward

Andy Moore

Anna Peaker

Graham Pilling

Laura Robinson

Oliver Schulze

Jess Thomas

Jon Owen

Herminio Rodríguez

detail of "Zionist Filth" by Nicole Rodríguez

Juan Carlos Rodriguez (surveillance camera corner left and wall hanging banner)

"fried goods and x-ray" by Juan Carlos Rodríguez

collector Carlos López and visitors making their own copies of Photocopy Me

Photocopy Me on display

detail of W&N "GO TO PR USA" postcards

Pedro Velez introduces Jorge Castro

Edwin Crespo "Veritas"

large xerox and chair

Herminio Rodriguez

"Flat Security Services" by collective Los Rodriguez

detail of L.M Rodríguez "French Dren Waterfall"

"Methods for Obedience" by W&N

detail of Rogelio Báez installation

Rogelio Báez and W&N

Juan Carlos Rodríguez "Flat Security Sevices-Willie Colón"

video, wall collage, banners, desk, boxes, chair

Marcial Feliciano "Meme-Nuclear" on top of Juan Carlos Rodríguez wall collage

detail of a video loop showing two dudes installing a fake surveillance camera in front of the Communications Department. The boxes contained hundreds of editions of the University's journal Punto y Coma, that had been discarded for no good reason. For the exhibition the artist kept the boxes available for the take by visitors.

Felix Agosto "MYOB" interactive installation with faux display case, stickers from famous brands and artists icons, and wall piece resembling a concrete wall.