Superposition Gallery Showcases Patricia Encarnación’s Exploration of Caribbean Identity

Superposition Gallery, under the curatorial direction of its founder, Storm Ascher, presents a thought-provoking exhibition by Afro-Dominican artist Patricia Encarnación. Titled Tracing the Underside: The Epigenetics of Tropicalization, this exhibition will be held at NADA House 17 on Governors Island, New York, from September 3 to October 27, 2024. The exhibition will be open to the public every Friday through Sunday, from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

The exhibition delves deep into the intertwined relationship between Caribbean bodies and landscapes, exploring how these territories hold memories and histories that shape identity and cultural narratives. Encarnación employs a photo-documentary style that focuses on self-portraits and portraits, which reveal the resilience and adaptability of Caribbean people. The installation challenges historical narratives by mimicking positions traditionally associated with the punishment of enslaved individuals, a disturbing practice that has been passed down through generations. However, Encarnación reclaims these narratives, transforming them into new understandings of identity and cultural resilience.

Drawing inspiration from Édouard Glissant’s assertion that “Our landscape is its own monument: its meaning can only be traced on the underside,” Encarnación’s work underscores the significance of ancestral memory and the deep connections between individuals and their landscapes. Her project engages with the visual narrative of An Eye For The Tropics by Krista A. Thompson, exploring how tourism, photography, and the framing of the Caribbean picturesque have shaped the region’s cultural identity.

Patricia Encarnación’s work aims to evoke an appreciation for the kinship between humanity and nature, promoting an apolitical and borderless understanding of territories. Her exploration of ancestral self-awareness illuminates the power of heritage in shaping collective identities and fostering healed futures. This exhibition is a testament to the artist’s commitment to highlighting the importance of these connections and the transformative potential they hold.

Storm Ascher, the visionary behind Superposition Gallery, expressed her excitement about collaborating with Patricia Encarnación for their first presentation at NADA House. The exhibition represents a shared appreciation for site-specific curation, merging interior and exterior concepts that reinforce the idea of “home” as a fluid and adaptable concept. As a nomadic gallery, Superposition Gallery continues to prioritize community and creativity, making art accessible to people around the world by sharing spaces with like-minded artists and fairs.

Superposition Gallery was founded in 2018 by Storm Ascher, who started her curatorial projects with the mission to subvert gentrification tactics in urban development through art galleries. The gallery highlights emerging and mid-career artists from diverse cultural backgrounds, fostering relationships with collectors and institutions. By collaborating with spaces that are conscious of the communities in which they reside, Superposition Gallery embodies the life of the nomadic artist and resident, bringing curatorial projects to fruition in borrowed spaces across cities like New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and internationally.

Patricia Encarnación is an interdisciplinary artist whose work critically engages with colonial legacies within Afro-diasporic communities, focusing on the Caribbean, Latin America, and its diaspora. Her work challenges tropes of Caribbean and tropical aesthetics by recontextualizing everyday objects and landscapes from her upbringing. Encarnación’s art has been showcased at various prestigious platforms, including Documenta 15 and the NALAC Fund for the Arts. She has also been recognized with several awards and fellowships, reflecting her significant contributions to the contemporary art world.