Ballroom Marfa opens Ecstatic Land exhibition
Oct. 28—MARFA — Ballroom Marfa recently opened its new exhibition titled Ecstatic land which will be on display until May 7, 2023.
The exhibition opened this week but will have opening celebrations from 4-7 p.m. Nov. 12.
Ecstatic Land is an exhibition and screening series that brings together a multi-generational group of artists whose works explore the intersecting vitalities of the land and the self.
The word ecstatic itself comes from Greek meaning "to stand outside oneself."
The show is co-curated by Dean Daderko and Ballroom Marfa Director and Curator Daisy Nam with assistance from Ballroom Marfa Curatorial and Exhibitions Assistant Alexann Susholtz.
Often times in nature, one can experience physical contact with the earth while being emotionally and psychologically transported elsewhere, especially in the vast expanses of the desert.
"We really wanted to put together an exhibition of multi generational artists that are looking at the land in different ways and trying to foreground their practices that is somewhat different from a 'traditional' landscape painting or photography tradition. In many ways, they are looking at the land and being with the land and then making work about that in more of an embodied way. The works range from photographs, to 2-D works to sculptures and other installation works."
Participating artists in the exhibition include Laura Aguilar, Genesis Baez, Teresa Baker, Dineo Seshee Bopape, Christie Blizard, The Frank Duncan Archive, Nancy Holt, Katherine Hubbard, Isuma, Benny Merris, Alan Michelson, Laura Ortman, Elle Perez, Sondra Perry and David Benjamin Sherry.
The gallery will be on view at the Nov. 12 opening and there will also be an outdoor screening series that coincides with the exhibition which will be taking place in the courtyard.
"There's also performances that will be taking place," Nam said. "One is Ortman who is a musician and plays the violin. She will do it in the tradition of a white mountain Apache violin. She'll do a performance."
Blizzard, who has a film that is a part of the series will also be present and will do an electronic music performance that is inspired by nature and the landscape.
"We'll also have a few pieces by Holt who has passed away that feature fire pits that feature the shape of the big dipper so we've worked with the McDonald Observatory on that and an astronomer there to help us map that onto the ballroom courtyard."
Nam talked about some of the other pieces in the exhibition that she finds interesting.
"There's a piece that is made by a Bopape who is an artist from South Africa," Nam said. "She is based in Johannesburg but has sent us some detailed instructions on how to build this mud and soil sculpture, using sculpture to mimic architecture but also foregrounding the rituals around and how we are within the land. It looks like a semicircle. We created that using soil, hay and mud from the Marfa region to create that shape. Visitors are welcomed to walk around it and meditate on that space. That is really beautiful."
More information can be found online at tinyurl.com/4fbdum5y.
If you go
— What: Ecstatic Land.
— When: Opened now-May 7, 2023.
— Where: Ballroom Marfa.
------
If you go
— What: Ecstatic Land Opening Celebration.
— When: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 12.
— Where: Ballroom Marfa.
