The Dead Live Through Art

Photos by Ryan Lely

Honoring those who have passed has been a cultural preoccupation since the dawn of humankind. From ancient human remains accompanied by fossilized flowers and seeds to accompany the deceased to the next life, to the improvised roadside shrines that dot Highway 12, marking moments of tragedy and heartache.
Every culture and religious tradition has its own distinct means of addressing the departed; moreover, each is subject to personal interpretation. Pursuing this line of thought, veteran curator Anthony Torres invited four artists to interpret their own perceptions of commemorating the dead in “Homage and Remembrance: The Past Is Present,” an exhibition of installations, shrines, and altars by artists Helene Aylon, Claudia Bernardi, Victor Cartagena and Rob Keller at the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art’s LaHaye Sculpture Gallery through Dec. 14.
“This exhibition is centered in a contemporary translation of holidays that commemorate changing seasons and life passages,” explained Torres, who has more than 20 years of experience in art organizations and academic institutions and works as an independent curator, college educator and art writer.
Among the traditions that informed “Homage and Remembrance” are Samhain, Yom Kippur, All Saints Day, All Hallows’ Eve, Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), All Souls Day and Dia de los Muertos.
In the exhibition, the four artists resurrect rituals related to death and rebirth within a conceptual framework, then expand them to address the legacies of a range of chosen subjects such as ancestors, martyrs, inherited traditions, victims of violence and ongoing social struggles.
Part of Torres’ goal was to depict the interconnectedness of people and histories. The artists he selected have diverse pasts as well as aesthetic practices – the result are a dizzying array of installations.
As Torres wrote in his “curator’s statement,” “History(s) and art are conceived as areas of inquiry that are in a constant process of change and negotiation, capable of addressing issues and posing questions related to the residues of the past in the present, and are here presented in the interest of intercultural dialogue. In this way, the artists honor those lives and histories that have contributed to informing and sustaining our own.”
A free program for attendees of all ages will take place at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 7 as “Homage and Remembrance: The Past Is Present” artists Helene Aylon, Claudia Bernardi, Victor Cartagena, and Rob Keller will be at SVMA for an informal discussion facilitated by Torres.
During the exhibitions, the museum will be open to the public Wednesdays through Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $5 for individuals, $8 for families, and free to members, with admission free to the public on Sundays. Memberships may be acquired or renewed at the door. For more information visit www.svma.org or call 707.939.7862.