A turkey dressed in elaborate green feathers and bananas may not be included in one's typical definition of art, but then again, the Walker Art Center's exhibits often bend and break conventions. As different, new and innovative as exhibits at this museum tend to be, they all manage to make commentary on contemporary society and culture.

The center's newest exhibit, Ultrabaroque: Aspects of Post-Latin American Art revels in splendor, exploring topics of hybridity, postmodernism, border culture and multimedia.

The connection between Latin American art and the Baroque era may not be immediately apparent. However, the reflection of numerous cultural influences is reminiscent of the Baroque period.

The works featured were made by 16 of the most vibrant artists working in the Americas today. The Walker has brought them together in order to display a pop-culture sensibility and critical evaluation of Latin American identity whose exuberance seems particularly Baroque.

One interesting piece in the exhibit is Rochelle Costi's "Quartos" (Bedrooms), which displays four large photographs of different bedrooms. The first photograph shows a bedroom that is lavishly decorated, with lace coverings on the dressers and every inch of space covered by some ornament or trinket.

A second photograph shows a young boy's room, filled with numerous toys.

The third photograph displays a spacious young girl's room, decorated in light shades of pink.

The last photograph is merely a blanket and a pillow, set in the middle of a small, dirty alley.

In four simple shots, Costi is able to make a social commentary that few other mediums could convey so simply.

Meyer Vaisman's work, "Untitled Turkey Series," puts the turkey, a significant American symbol, in a number of getups, including bunny fur and robes. These pieces are certainly diverse and humorous and warrant a second look (and laugh).

This exhibit manages to elicit a variety of sentiments. Some make you laugh, others make you somber. Some feel quite serious, while others seem to have been constructed as a sarcastic in-joke. Nevertheless, the cumulative effect of the works reveal a deeper meaning that reconstructs the individual subjects.

On the other hand, works like "Lia Menna Bearreto," a collage of doll parts and faux foliage, just look bizarre to a viewer who fails to fully appreciate the deeper meaning in such art (e.g., me).

Some may see this work for the beautiful yet tormented images of dismembered bodies that it is said to represent, but those like me will most likely consider it odd.

If for no other reason, the exhibit is worth attending in that it explores many of the concepts that Macalester students hear about daily—postmodernism, hybridity and identity, to name a few––in a radically different light. Through the eye of the visual arts, topics that often seem dry emerge as vibrant, immediate and emotionally engaging.


Ultrabaroque: Aspects of Post-Latin American Art will remain on display at the Walker Art Center through Jan. 5, 2003.


Entrance to the Walker is $6 for adults or $4 for students with a school i.d. The Walker is free on Thursdays and the first Saturday of every month (such as tomorrow, November 2).