Exhibition Dates: August 15–September 5, 2020
12–5pm Fridays and Saturdays, or by appointment.
Day & Night Projects is excited to announce our first in-person exhibition of 2020, Collision by Afro-Cuban painter and sculptor Wilay Méndez Páez. Visiting as an artist-in-residence in conjunction with the Atlanta University Center, Méndez Páez contemplates Atlanta’s commuter culture with metal and plastic sculptures recycled from wrecked automobiles. The dynamically re-formed debris from car crashes spring from the artist’s observations of the way people move in our car-centric American city, and its contrast to Cuba, where walking is the primary mode of transportation. With scuffed original paint, crumpled steel, and torch marks, these sculptures weld the perception of the artist and the remnants of a moment, for an extraordinary collision.
Collision will be on view August 15–September 5. Gallery hours are 12–5pm Fridays and Saturdays, or by appointment. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, Day & Night Projects will implement the following precautions to limit transmission of the virus: No opening reception will be held. The number of persons in the gallery will be limited to 5 at one time. Our garage door will be open in good weather to increase air circulation. Masks will be required for all visitors. Hand sanitizer will be provided. All high-touch surfaces will be cleaned every hour. No restroom will be accessible.
Collision will also be available for view as photos on our website daynightprojects.art, including the option to purchase artworks on our online store.
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BURNAWAY
ABOUT THE ARTIST: Wilay Méndez Páez is an Afro-Cuban artist whose work explores everyday present life and human connections. He mainly works with sculpture and collage, and all of his pieces are made from recycled materials. Born in the province of Candelaria, and raised in Guanabo (East Havana), Méndez Páez’s work has been included in several exhibits in Havana, such as the Havana Biennale, Moderna Gallery, Centro de Artes Plasticas y Diseño, and Luz y Oficio Gallery; as well as in other cities of the island such as Santiago de Cuba at the African Cultural Center Fernando Ortiz. The artist’s work has been shown abroad in London’s Studio ExPurgamento, Munich’s Atelierhaus Dachauer Straße, and Seattle’s ArtXchange Gallery. In Atlanta, Méndez Páez’s work has been shown at GerART Gallery, AUC Woodruff Library, and Murphy Rail Studios, all in 2019. Visit wilaymendezpaez.com for more info.
ABOUT THE CURATORS:
Daricia Mia DeMarr is from Los Angeles, California. She launched her collegiate career at Clark Atlanta University but received a BA in Art History from Georgia State University and master’s degree in Visual Arts Administration from New York University. DeMarr served as assistant director at the NYU Kimmel Center Galleries, organizing and curating over 100 exhibitions in 6 years. She curated, ‘Respectfully Yours,’ at the Queens Museum, Bulova Center and was a member of the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Art Program public art team. She founded Pi Arts Projects and is co-founder of Black Women in Visual Art. DeMarr is currently gallery manager at Peg Alston Fine Arts in NYC and serves as an independent curator, arts administrator and consultant.
Lauren Jackson Harris is a fine art management professional, independent curator, and creative director from Atlanta, GA. She holds a BFA in Graphic Design and Art History from Howard University and an MA in Creative Business Leadership from SCAD Her most recent position was Gallery Manager and Curator of ZuCot Gallery, a black-owned fine art gallery exhibiting the works of notable Black artists. Harris works with AUC Art Collective, and develops and supports Artists of the Diaspora, curating art exhibitions and experiences to further the growth of Atlanta’s arts and cultural scene.
