By Alexander Rivera
Bosco Sodi
A Return to Reality
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Through March 5
USF Contemporary Art Museum
Free
Details here
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Many of us exist in our own heads — a separate reality based on the one that surrounds us. Every day, we find ourselves consumed by the stressors that exist within our own personal bubbles. Oftentimes, we live as ghosts wandering from one task to the next, sometimes taking breaks to consume media or get distracted by the notifications popping up on our phone screens.
The unfortunate consequence of all this is that we often operate with tunnel vision. Closing ourselves off to different perspectives and lifestyles we sometimes have no idea how to comprehend. Yet, there are moments or events that help a person find their way out of the tunnel – even momentarily – to see the vast horizon.
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One of these moments that grounded me back into a reality that comprises multiple realities, not just my own, was when I walked through the Bosco Sodi exhibit, currently on display at the University of South Florida’s Contemporary Art Museum. Bosco Sodi is a Mexican contemporary artist who has works around the world in Mexico, New York, Berlin, and now, here on display in Tampa.
One of his more famous pieces, Muro, was a performance art piece where he built a wall in Washington Square Park in 2017. The wall stood for one day before it was dismantled by visitors who each got to keep 1 of 1,600 unique clay timbers, signed by Bosco Sodi himself. Muro was re-created at the USF Contemporary Art Museum in 2019.
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It’s hard for me to put into words the rush of different emotions I had while walking through this exhibit. It felt as if I was planting my roots back into the Earth as I marveled at the cracked clay spheres placed meticulously on the gallery floor. Each one taking on a distinct look thanks to their different sizes, patterns and slight color variations.
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According to the signage, “Sodi cut large clay blocks directly from the ground in Oaxaca and shaped them into spheres by hand, hardening each via a complex process that took months to complete.” This process included drying the clay spheres out in the sun before putting them in a kiln for anywhere between 16 to 20 hours.
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Surrounding these spheres are burlap sacks — used to store dry chili peppers — hung up on the walls. These art pieces are colloquially called, Sun Paintings. Each one has a distinct circle painted on them. Similar to the clay spheres, these painted circles vary in size, color and their position on the sack itself, which seem to represent the different positions of the Sun throughout the day.
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During quarantine, Sodi created art using the materials surrounding him. So, he decided to use these burlap sacks as his canvas. The decision to utilize old chili sacks gives the pieces an earthy feel, much like the spheres they surround, while providing a glimpse into someone else’s life — their own reality.
As you wander away from this section of the exhibit, you enter a small section where miniature clay models are proudly on display. Each one was crafted by a child artist during a clay workshop carried out by the Casa Wabi Foundation — an arts charity established by Bosco Sodi where young artists can take up a residency and study art. On display are small animals, volcanos, mushrooms and anything the kids could imagine.
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This section, much like the previous one, establishes a natural link to the Earth as these children sculpted their visions based on the world around them. To me, it’s incredible to see the work of these young artists travel so far away – in a way, that connects me with these artists I have never met as I look at the same art they once held in their hands.
The last section of the exhibit houses perhaps my favorite pieces — a group of paintings titled Vers L’Espagne. These pieces all have rough surfaces that “recall creek beds and footpaths trod by Mexican and Central American immigrants on their way north.” Each one reminds me of scratched up pavement or cracked earth, symbolizing the intense journey many immigrants may face. It brings into perspective the often-arduous journey immigrants go through, whether it be through the endless bureaucratic web they sometimes find themselves entangled in, or the harsh physical journey some families are forced to endure.
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After taking a walkthrough of this exhibit, I implore any reader to attend if they can before the exhibit closes on March 4, where they will host a farewell tour of the exhibit. Or if you are unable to attend, then please to look up the works of Bosco Sodi online.
You may find yourself sucked into a different reality, one where you are able to commune with the Earth and sky, as you share a connection with other humans from around the world.
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Hours
Thursday 10 am-8 pm
Friday 10 am-5 pm
Saturday 1-4 pm.
Free
March 4, 6:30-9 pm
Curator’s Tour and Closing Reception. Free.
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You can see a virtual tour of Bosco Sodi: Básico here.
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Photos by Alexander Rivera
