The Met Museum Employee Art Exhibit
This film is a meditation on visibility, labor, and the politics of presence within and beyond the walls of the museum. Anchored in the daily realities of Met security guards—individuals who stand silently among masterpieces while themselves remaining unseen—it draws attention to those who safeguard culture while being erased from its narrative.
Juxtaposed against this institutional backdrop is the beachside world of Coney Island, where Federico Armengol Moreno, a long-time homeless resident, occupies another kind of marginal space. Federico, whose presence disrupts the romanticized myth of New York’s urban sublime, stands at the intersection of spectacle and neglect. You can find him by the public restrooms on the boardwalk—his life not staged, but lived.
Inspired by Bentham’s panopticon and Paulo Freire’s critical pedagogy, the film explores surveillance as both a mechanism of control and a lens of critique. The guards are watched as they watch; the public consumes art as it bypasses the humanity of those who make its viewing possible. Through layered vignettes and moments of spontaneous performance, the film invites the viewer to consider who gets seen, who gets framed, and who gets forgotten.
See the film here
Images from film shoot at Coney Island
Photo credit: Coney Island Film Crew
October 2, 2024
2 Studies for 3 Pointz Brooklyn at The Long Island Museum of Art
2 Studies for 3 Points Brooklyn, 2023, Video editing, Cristobal Vivar
Two Studies For 3 Pointz Brooklyn was selected for Somos/We Are: LatinX Artists of Long Island at the Long Island Museum of Art in 2023.
The video used Instagram’s reel function and clips from my two live-walks. 1) From Dumbo to Coney Island, 2) From Dumbo to East New York. I consider the video to be a living archive of Brooklyn.
Many thanks to my studio assistant, Albert Zang!
Somos/We Are: LatinX Artists of Long Island
September, 2023
Somos/We Are: LatinX Artists of Long Island at Long Island Museum
A groundbreaking exhibition celebrating the rich cultural heritage and artistic contributions of the Latinx community of Long Island. This exhibition, which includes works by over 80 participating historic, established, and contemporary artists, offers a unique opportunity to explore their diverse styles, media, compelling personal stories, and familial national origins. From Brooklyn to Montauk, SOMOS showcases the works of creators who have grappled with questions of identity, history, and the many meanings of community. Guest-curated by Mexican-American artist Kelynn Z. Alder, SOMOS situates Latinx artists within the historic fabric and the actively changing shape of the Long Island neighborhoods in which they live.
SIX-FOOT PLATFORM: NO COLOR GAME
Washington and Water Street intersection becomes the setting for a new project: the Six Foot Platform Experimental Residency Program. Presented in partnership with the Brooklyn Arts Council, this project will feature eleven Brooklyn-based artists in full-day residencies on Saturdays from June 19-September 4, 2021.
July 4, 2021
By BerdsCarnival (Maraya G Lopez). Soundtrack in collaboration with Harvey “Ras(X)” Lackey.
Special thanks to DUMBO BID for having me for the first cohort.
The Dumbo Improvement District announces programming for the inaugural Six Foot Platform Experimental Residency Program, presented in partnership with Brooklyn Arts Council. A panel chose twelve Brooklyn-based artists following an open call for works in spring 2021 to participate in full-day residencies on a 6’ by 6’ platform on Washington Street, one of New York City’s most iconic blocks, on Saturdays from June 19 to September 4 from 12 pm to 9 pm.
Multi-genre and encouraging participation from spectators, Six Foot Platform programming includes interactive art installations, unconventional music, and dance performances.
The Dumbo Improvement District announces programming for the inaugural Six Foot Platform Experimental Residency Program, presented in partnership with Brooklyn Arts Council. A panel chose twelve Brooklyn-based artists following an open call for works in spring 2021 to participate in full-day residencies on a 6’ by 6’ platform on Washington Street, one of New York City’s most iconic blocks, on Saturdays from June 19 to September 4 from 12 pm to 9 pm.
BerdsCarnival making the ‘No Color Game”, 2021
“Alive” by Marie Roberts
Photo Credit: Jane Huntington
BerdsCarnival with a boy looking into mirror.
2021 on The Six Foot platform.
Photo credit: Jane Huntington