Twelve Gates Arts presents ALTER, a group exhibition curated by Sadaf Padder that explores the material culture and physical spaces in Religion, Ritual and State.
Featuring Keli Safia Maksud, Leila Weefur, Sandy Williams IV, Samira Idroos, Sanié Bokhari, Shelly Bahl and Suchitra Mattai.
Opening Reception: Friday, August 5th 5-8 pm, Curator’s walkthrough @ 7 pm
Public Program: Thursday, September 15th 5-7 pm
ALTER asks the questions, “When does an item become an idol and when does a person become an icon? Alternatively, how does artmaking challenge traditions of worship by way of iconoclasm?” The conceptual, sculptural and installation-based exhibition unpacks patriarchy, heteronormativity and consumerism relating to devotional objects and structures. Drawing from under-recognized historical and ancient influences, the artistic inspiration spans Asia, Africa and the Americas and the Christian, Buddhist, Hindu and Islamic religions. The works nimbly traverse the planes of the sacred and secular.
ALTER posits that there is an emergence of a pantheistic, post-secular, spirituality in contemporary art that draws connections across diasporic identity. The artists are myth makers, linking history to an imagined future and intersecting art and anthropology. They are creating new rituals through their interpretations as they combine references to colonial history and contemporary influences in visually captivating sculptures and installations, implementing their medium in ways that emphasize a spiritually encompassing message.
About the Curator:
Sadaf Padder is a Brooklyn-based independent curator, writer and art dealer. A former educator for nearly a decade, she left her job as a Dean of Students to develop intersections of art and community. She is the founder of Alpha Arts Alliance (A3), a hyperlocal multidisciplinary collective that connects creatives with opportunities and collectors. Sadaf pledges a percentage of all proceeds from sales and events to youth arts programming in Brooklyn & Haiti. Her focus is to amplify artists of the global majority, especially women, through connective themes such as mythology and social justice. Her curation and writing has been featured in ARTSY, Hyperallergic & LA Weekly. @pitterpadder