Grace Exhibition Space is pleased to present MY FIRST MEAL WITH YOU IN NYC, a live performance by artist Hector Canonge. The durational work marks Canonge’s return to the United States after his seven month journey through various regions in South America. The artist’s actions will intervene the well known Brooklyn space for a period of 4 hours this Saturday, February 9th, starting at 3 pm. The public is invited to to bring typical dishes, delicacies, and popular food that best reflect contemporary American culture. All offerings will be incorporated in the performance. Audience members are invited to participate in the transformation of food as a trigger for memories and new sensations.
Hector Canonge is an interdisciplinary artist whose work incorporates the use of media technologies, physical environments, cinematic and performative narratives. He explores and treats issues related to construction of identity, gender roles, and the politics of migration. Challenging the white box settings of a gallery or a museum or intervening directly in public spaces, his performances mediate movement, endurance, and ritualistic processes. Some of his actions and carefully choreographed performances involve collaborating with other artists and interacting with audiences.
Since June 2012 Canonge has been traveling in Latin America generating a new body of work, exhibiting, lecturing, conducting workshops, and presenting live action performances in various institutions and public spaces in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. His return to the US marks the beginning of a new period in the professional and personal life of the artist. Canonge is the recipient of the 2012 Geothe Zentrum Award in Latin America for his project “SIN FRONTERAS,” and has received the 2012-2013 Franklin Furnace Award for his upcoming project LABORAL. Canonge lives and works in New York City where he organizes the performance art festival ITINERANT, directs the film series CINEMAROSA, leads the monthly program for artists, A-Lab Forum, and is the founder of the nonprofit organization QMAD, Queens Media Arts Development.