â€śLandscape is more about what you don’t see than what you do see,” Fernández says. 

About Dark Earth

In four panels from her series Dark Earth (2019), Fernández merges the conceptual and the material to challenge conventional ideas of the figure in the landscape in her first solo exhibition in Washington. Each panel presents a ghostly scene that reveals the cultural histories of their physical makeup—gold, conquest, violence, agriculture—and the fluctuation of power that surrounds natural resources.

Their golden, metallic surfaces prompt each viewer to linger, as their gaze is returned and distorted within the constructed landscape. With these works, Fernández prompts viewers to consider their own role in the eroded physical and psychological spaces produced by centuries of dominant colonialism. 

The panoramic horizon of Charred Landscape (America), a site-specific installation, surrounds the Dark Earth panels–smoke rising from its peaks. Here, solid charcoal (made of burned trees) functions simultaneously as a sculptural element, drawing tool, ephemeral marks, and as a physical part of a real landscape. Both the imagery and materials reference the “slash and burn” technique traditionally used by Indigenous peoples to cultivate rotating crops and sustainably fertile terrain.

“After our long closure, we are excited to relaunch the de la Cruz Gallery with such an innovative and influential artist,” says Al Miner, founding director and chief curator of the Georgetown University Art Galleries. “With shimmering surfaces, mysterious imagery and intriguing textures, Fernández lures viewers into a critical conversation that crosses disciplines, geographies, and time periods. A liberal arts institution with a long-term commitment to social justice, Georgetown University is the perfect place to better acquaint diverse audiences with one of the most compelling artists working today.”

Teresita Fernández: Dark Earth is now open to the public, pre-registration is required . Fernández and artist Cecilia Vicuña will launch a new panel discussion series on November 11^th at 6pm, Be Seen AND Heard: Conversations with American Women Artists. This event will have limited capacity and require separate pre-registration, to sign up and for additional program details visit the. The exhibition will remain on view through December 12^th.

Also on View

Like the Fernández exhibition, a new show in the University’s seeks to engage viewers in important and timely dialogue. Joseph Grigely: Songs, With And Without Words is guest curated by Yuri Stone, and is open now through December 12^th.

Deaf since the age of 10, the Chicago-based Grigely is interested in the power of language, both spoken and written. The exhibition will feature eight digital prints from the series Songs Without Words (2008-) that communicate the energy and emotion of a vocalist or musician without sound. Additionally, on view in the Spagnuolo South Gallery through May 23, 2022 is . Sideshows, freak shows, and circuses inspired these works in a variety of mediums by Georgetown Professor Sangastiano.

Known for orchestrating lasting interventions and creative collaborations in Puerto Rico and around the world, Rosado-Seijo is equal parts artist and community organizer. His first exhibit on the mainland features photographs and a never-before-seen film that documents his most enduring socially engaged project in Puerto Rico. New paintings, videos, collages, and sculptures made in partnership with Washingtonians will also be on display. These new works illustrate the link between Rosado-Seijo’s two great passions: contemporary art and skateboarding. 

Rosado-Seijo has been an avid skateboarder since high school. In 2006, he teamed up with volunteers and community members to build a skateboarding bowl on the beach in San Juan’s La Perla barrio. La Perla’s Bowl, represented by photographs in the exhibition, is now used by skateboarders and is at other times flooded to serve as a community pool. Since then he has connected with communities of skaters in cities across the globe.

Rosado-Seijo began visiting Washington, DC in 2018 to work on this exhibition and quickly connected with the city’s network of skaters and artists. Many of his pieces were made in the DC metro area – including on Georgetown University’s campus – with a diverse group of local collaborators. All of these works bear the traces of Rosado-Seijo’s art historical influences, the frenetic physicality of skateboarding, and the unique contributions of many new friends, including accomplished DC artist Ben Ashworth.

The exhibition spans the and the at Georgetown. It shows the progression of Rosado-Seijo’s increasingly ambitious site-specific projects, showcasing such pieces as 2000’s El Trampolín and his most sweeping project to date: El Cerro.

Rosado-Seijo first approached residents of the low-income neighborhood of El Cerro in 2002, offering to paint their houses green for free, as a way to integrate the architecture into the countryside. Residents gradually joined the effort and now, over 100 houses form a green-tinted mural. This project was the true marriage of his passion for art and social activism, and led to an ongoing relationship between Rosado-Seijo and the community. Today, a museum, a community center, and workshops taught by a variety of volunteers have been created because of the artist.

“In our second season, the de la Cruz Gallery is delving into artists’ unique capacity to make our world a better place,” says founding director and chief curator of the Georgetown University Art Galleries, . “Rosado-Seijo makes art objects and makes a difference. He shares Georgetown University’s passion and commitment to community collaboration and empowerment.”

The exhibition and related programs support Georgetown University’s long-standing commitment to community engagement and inspiring change. Chemi Rosado-Seijo: Communities in Motion/Comunidades en Movimiento is the first exhibition at the Georgetown University Art Galleries to feature wall text and labels in both English and Spanish.

The exhibition will open with a from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The first public program will be a dialogue between Rosado-Seijo and Washington, DC, collaborator Ben Ashworth on Details on further programs are listed on the .