Past Exhibition
Siempre Hay Más (There’s Always More)
Christina Barrera
Spring 2021
About
Siempre Hay Más (There’s Always More)
By artist Christina Barrera
Public exhibition presented at Galeria del Barrio in East Harlem in collaboration with Hope Community, Inc.
Galeria del Barrio at 162.5 104th Street & Lexington Ave
Spring 2021
Siempre Hay Más (There's Always More)
Mixed media window installation, 2021
In public window installation, artist Christina Barrera explores the varied ways New Yorkers are responding to the current moment caused by social upheaval and the COVID-19 pandemic. "¡No Más!" is an expression that can take on many meanings. It is a command, like "enough!", or a plea, as in "please, no more!" The phrase "No Hay Más" simply states "there is no more," and the question "¿No Hay Más?" asks "isn't there more?"
Like the expression, Barrera's installation can be interpreted in many ways depending on one's understanding of language and visual symbolism. The work references propaganda, or the slogans used by activists fighting for political change. At the same time, Barrera employs the visual language of commodity culture - bright colors and pennant flags placed in a storefront window - where "MORE" / "MÁS" signals that something is available for purchase or trade. By using the statement "No Hay Más," the artist points to the uneven availability of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) used to shield wearers from the COVID virus, or even something as ephemeral as physical energy.
Ultimately, Barrera's work toggles between presenting a hope for a better future, and an empathetic understanding of the reality of life during remarkable hardship.
Christina Barrera was born and raised in South Florida and lives in Brooklyn, New York. She earned a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore and is currently pursuing her MFA from Hunter College in NYC.
This project is co-presented by Hunter East Harlem Gallery (HEHG) and Hope Community, Inc. HEHG a multidisciplinary space for socially-minded projects located at Hunter College in East Harlem. Hope Community, Inc. is a community based affordable housing organization serving the East Harlem neighborhood.
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