Ad Minoliti at BALTIC in Gateshead
Sara Jaspan, Exhibitions Editor
What does it mean to look at art through an expanded view of the world, uninhibited by gender-binary or even human-centric ways of thinking? And what new readings or richer insights might this lead to? Ad Minoliti is an Argentinian artist whose bold and brightly coloured paintings and installations use a playful style of geometric abstraction fused with queer and feminist theory to generate alternative interpretations of art, and through this; life, traditional forms of knowledge, ourselves and one another.
For their first institutional presentation in the UK, Minoliti will transform one of the BALTIC’s galleries into a space that lies outside the assumed conventions of terrestrial existence, inviting visitors to engage with what they find in new ways. The immersive exhibition will also feature a classroom where Minoliti will host their roaming ‘Feminist School of Painting’. The school is led in collaboration with a group of artists, writers, activists and academics from a diverse range of disciplines, and features free bi-monthly workshops which anyone can attend.
Each workshop is an opportunity to reimagine established historical narratives from a feminist, intersection and queer perspective through exploring different genres of painting (portraiture, landscape, still life, myth). Sessions will be focused around discussion and practical application – i.e. the opportunity to depict your own ways of seeing on canvas. No art knowledge or skills are required; the school is designed to be completely inclusive and encourages creativity and curiosity above all else.
Minoliti represented Argentina at the 2019 Venice Biennale and has gained growing attention in recent years. We’re really excited to attend what promises to be a mind-opening experience at a time when so much of how we view the world is being reinvented by the people that inhabit.
