Media Release
Media Contact: Roderic Hernub Southall
612-822-6808 / Rod1611@hotmail.com

The Artist Talk for the Root Shock exhibition has been rescheduled for Thursday October 23, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. at Obsidian Arts, 2948 Chicago Avenue North. The discussion will be led by curator Marlina Gonzales.

The exhibition explores the personal, cultural and social factures that results from environmental changes. [On view through – October 25, 2008]

Minneapolis, MN, August 1, 2008 – Wielding photographs, graffiti, poetry, and installations four artists from varying social and cultural backgrounds simulate the experience of root shock for un-oriented viewers. The exhibition closing features an Artists’ Talk Session led by curator Marlina Gonzales.

Obsidian Arts
Obsidian Arts participates in the global dialogue about artists and the art they create. Enter 2948 Chicago Avenue, Ste. 220.; Tel. 612-822-6808; Hrs. Thursday 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Saturday 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Friday 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. No admission fee.

Artists
Participating artists are Catherine Kennedy (Liberia) (installation), Usry Alleyne (Guyana) (photographer), Heba Amin (Egypt) (installation), and Sankara Djeki (Cameroon) (poetry, paint, and dance).

Background
Inspired by Dr. Mindy Thompson Fullilove’s book Root Shock: How Tearing Up City Neighborhoods Hurts America And What We Can Do About it, Obsidian Arts invited curator Marlina Gonzalez to curate an exhibition around this concept. “As an immigrant (read: transplant) from Asia to America, my own life experiences deepens my empathy for the not-so-random acts of social dismemberment and transplantations imposed on any culture perceived as “the other’ by any culture with audacity to define who or what “the other” should be”, noted Gonzalez in explaining the role of her personal narrative as inspiration her life lends to the exhibition. It is the result of that personal narrative and additional research that Gonzalez engaged participating artists with the invitation and direction to create work that would simulate the experience of root shock for un-oriented viewers.

Sponsors
Obsidian Arts’ exhibitions are supported by a grant from the Jerome Foundation with additional support from United Arts/COMPAS.