Presenting: Quarantine: 40 Days and 40 Nights

The Coral Gables Museum is pleased to present Quarantine: 40 Days and 40 Nights - A Photographic Series by Geandy Pavón, a timely and imaginative photographic exploration of life under quarantine. A weekend visit to his partner Imara López in early March turned into an indefinite lockdown in Buffalo, NY that would dramatically change the course of plans for Pavón and López. Anticipating a short visit, Pavón had packed only essential gear. This basic gear would become the primary medium of expression and provide a challenge for Pavón’s explorations.

These photographs from quarantine chronicle a journey into topics such as the reinterpretations of known works of art, to religious themes, to Classical mythology. Unfolding historical moments have also threaded their way through the narrative. In addition to the body of photographs in the exhibition, Pavón created process videos to further narrate some of these moments. Visitors will also enjoy a soundtrack by renowned musician Paquito D’Rivera, created specifically for the exhibition. The soundtrack is comprised of two versions of the iconic La Bella Cubana, written by Afro-Cuban 20c composer, José Lafitte White.

In her essay for the exhibition, Lynette M.F. Bosch, SUNY Distinguished Professor & Chair, Department of Art History, Geneseo, delivers a profound narrative arc that takes us from art history, to an entertaining primer on the history of pandemics, to the unraveling of historical events in this country’s history. Bosch also comments on the photographs: "The finished impact of the images captured by Pavón’s camera are visually stunning, original, gripping, personal yet removed from reality by the surrealistic lighting and color effects of the presented subjects".

"Quarantine..." arrives to us from the Art Museum of the Americas in Washington, D.C. where it was exhibited virtually. Among other publications, the Washington Post favorably reviewed the exhibition.

This exhibition is made possible through the generous support of Laura Blanco, Robert Shainheit, and the In Art We Trust Foundation.

Geandy Pavón is a multi-disciplinary artist who explores the ills that plague global society. His observations are expressed through photography, video and paint. Pavón’s work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions such as Caribbean: Crossroads of the World, at The Studio Museum in Harlem and PAMM; The X Files Bienal at El Museo del Barrio; and the Annenberg Space for Photography as part of Pacific Time LA/LA.

The Coral Gables Museum fosters an appreciation for the Civic Arts in our city. The museum celebrates the 1920s planned community of Coral Gables and presents exhibits and programs that examine the built environment. The Museum’s mission is to celebrate, investigate and explore the civic arts of architecture and urban and environmental design, including fostering an appreciation for the history, vision, and cultural landscape of Coral Gables; promoting beauty and planning as well as historic and environmental preservation for a broad audience, including children, families and community members, as well as local, regional, national and international visitors. The museum optimizes its mission by cultivating effective partnerships, and providing programming that includes exhibitions, collections, educational offerings, lectures, tours, publications and special events.

Amid the current COVID-19 Pandemic the museum has implemented a few changes to better protect our visitors and staff. Sanitization stations are available throughout the museum, as well as yellow floor markers to assist in maintaining social distancing. Due to Miami-Dade County ordinances, facial coverings are required to visit the museum. We strongly encourage our visitors to RSVP ahead of your visit and pre-purchase tickets to avoid in-contact transactions.

Related Events:

ARTIST TALK:

Quarantine: 40 Days and 40 Nights; A Look into the Photographic Work of Geandy Pavón

Tuesday, December 1st

• Private Viewing and In-Gallery Talk: 6:00 - 8:00 pm (By invitation only)

• Artist Talk via Facebook Live: 6:00 - 8:00 pm (Join us at the Coral Gables Museum's Facebook at 6:00 pm)

CONVERSATION WITH THE ARTIST:

Looking at Geandy Pavón's "Quarantine: 40 Days and 40 Nights"; A Conversation between the Artist and Art Historian Lynette Bosch

Friday, December 11, 2020 | 6:00 - 7:30 pm | Via Zoom and Facebook Live

To join us via Zoom: Kindly RSVP by Wednesday, December 9th - Click on this Direct Link, Call us at: 305 603 8067; or email us at: info@coralgablesmuseum.org. We will send you a link with the Zoom Meeting ID on the day before the event.

To join us via Facebook Live: Open the Coral Gables Museum's Facebook Page at 6:00 pm

Geandy Pavón. The Annunciation, Day #10. 2020.

Press Contact:

Yuneikys (Yuni) Villalonga, Chief Curator

yvillalonga@coralgablesmuseum.org

305.603.8067