May 11 - 20

1-54 Presents - Sparkling Islands, Another Postcard of the Caribbean Curated by Caryl Ivrisse Crochemar & [creative renegades society.]

1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair is pleased to present Sparkling Islands, Another Postcard of the Caribbean, a group exhibition of contemporary Caribbean artists coinciding with the fair’s 9th New York edition. Showcasing a new generation of contemporary artists from the Caribbean and its diaspora, Sparkling Islands, Another Postcard of the Caribbean seeks to push beyond superficial portrayals of the region as a sunny tourist destination and reflect the diversity of cultures informing contemporary Caribbean art.  Featuring 13 artists from across the archipelago, the exhibition spans painting, photography, works on paper, sculpture, textiles and installation and offers a glimpse into the cerebral and nuanced output of contemporary artists from the region and diaspora.”

Featuring 13 artists, Sparkling Islands, Another Postcard of the Caribbean spans painting,  photography, works on paper, sculpture, textiles and installation. Highlights include Living Room n.37, 2023 by Johanna Mirabel, a delicately rendered figurative work portraying a  peaceful domestic scene. Mirabel, who will concurrently present work at 1-54 New York, is a  French artist of Caribbean Martinican, Guadeloupean and Guyanese descent whose practice  seeks to represent the complexities inherent in a life lived between cultures. Alberta Whittle’s  In tidal movementations, she carves out memories, 2022 is also on view. Featuring water,  waves and snake symbols, this work is imbued with many of the motifs present throughout  Whittle’s Scottish Pavilion at the 2022 Venice Biennale. The contemporary works in the  exhibition starkly contrast Roland Dorcély’s Untitled (Sunbath), c.1958, a vibrant abstract  painting that initially calls to mind storied tropes of Caribbean vitality, but upon further  consideration demonstrates the artist’s engagement with the modern painting movements of  his day.

About 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair

Founded in 2013, 1-54 is the first and only international fair dedicated to contemporary African  art. With three editions per year—in London, New York and Marrakech—as well as an annual  pop-up fair in Paris, 1-54 is the leading global art fair committed to providing visibility to  contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora. Striving to promote a community of diverse  perspectives, including evolving interpretations of the diasporic experience, 1-54 features  leading international galleries specializing in contemporary African art alongside artists talks,  panel discussions and a Special Projects programme. The fair’s name draws reference to the  fifty-four countries that constitute the African continent.

About Caryl Ivrisse Crochemar 

Martinique-born curator Caryl Ivrisse Crochemar is an international contemporary art  enthusiast, who has over two decades' worth of experience working in European art  institutions and his first gallery in Berlin (D). Ivrisse Crochemar is also the director and founder  of espace d’art contemporain 14N 61W (Fort de France, Martinique), a contemporary  Caribbean art platform/gallery fuelled with exhibitions and projects revolving around concerns  about artistic creation in relation to today's social, economic, political and global issues. In  recent years, Ivrisse Crochemar has been co-curator of « The Oceans & The Interpreters »,  at Hong Gah Museum, Tapei (TW); Curator in chief at S12 Studio, NY (2018-19); contributing  editor/consultant at Davidoff Art Initiative (2014-18); and consultant for steering committee  (CARMA Center of Art, Guyane (In-Extenso, MCC, DAC Guyane), & CTM Martinique, MCC,  France). It is through his passion for contemporary art that he aims to provide opportunities to  local artists who would like to break into the international scene.

For further press information, images and interview requests please contact:  Jennifer@1-54.com