‘Biennial’ art project installed on Cayman Brac

| 14/05/2019
CNS Local Life
A view of Kaitlyn Elphinstone’s public art installation, “Coral Tiles” in Cayman Brac

(CNS Local Life): As part of its inaugural tri-island Cayman Islands Biennial exhibition, “Cross Currents”, the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands recently set up a multi-site project on Cayman Brac, which consists of a public art installation by Kaitlyn Elphinstone entitled “Coral Tiles (Contemporary Anthropocentric Tile Design) (2019)”. The installation follows the launch of a satellite exhibition at the Little Cayman Museum.

Elphinstone’s work is conceived as a site-responsive installation which features a series of digital collages created from photographs of coral patterns, over which Caymanian architectural fretwork designs have been superimposed, the NGCI said in a press release. “The resulting surfaces fuse elements of the natural and the manmade, and comment on the intricate relationship we have with our surrounding landscape,” the gallery said.

Seen on location at various places on the Brac – from the Panama Canal boat launch to the Market Place grocery store – “the effect is even more pronounced, blurring the boundaries between art, architecture and nature, while also questioning the value of our coastline as a commercial commodity”, NGCI stated.

Elphinstone said of her work: “This series investigates the space between beauty and reality, fabricated and natural aesthetics, as well as the anthropocentric view and commercial value we place on our coastal environments. I hope that the installation will draw awareness to the importance of our coastlines and encourage us to carefully consider future development and the role we play.”

Other places where the multi-site project can be experienced on Cayman Brac are Charles Kirkconnell International Airport and the Brac Scuba Shack. In addition, the work can be viewed at the Little Cayman Museum and, in Grand Cayman, at the Owen Roberts International Airport and the National Gallery.

The Biennial project features artwork by 42 Cayman artists at various sites on the three islands. As an exhibition concept, “Cross Currents”seeks to showcase the high calibre of work in the Cayman Islands and to challenge the boundaries of contemporary Caymanian art, the National Gallery said in the release.

The Biennial project is accompanied by an extensive educational programme of workshops, school tours, panel discussions, screenings and lectures, with the aim to spark dialogue between artists, educators and the viewing public. The National Gallery developed the project, supported by Butterfield.

The wider exhibition is set to run until 6 June. “Coral Tiles”will remain on view in Cayman Brac until 31 July.

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Category: Arts, Local News, Visual Arts

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