Gala Porras-Kim on Institutional Critique and the 61st Venice Biennale
In a recent edited dialogue for blaxRADIO's Unravel, artist Gala Porras-Kim examines her interdisciplinary approach, probing how museums and archives categorize and present artifacts. She characterizes her technique as a form of hacking that reveals contradictions within institutions. Her notable works include 228 Offerings for the Rain (2021), 109 West Mexico Ceramics (2017), and 530 National Treasures (2023), all of which investigate the motivations behind object collection. Porras-Kim highlights drawing as a deliberate medium for exploration and recounts her site visits, such as creating a 'hot room' following her trip to Museo de Arte de Ponce. For the 61st International Art Exhibition La Biennale di Venezia, she integrated both new and existing pieces in a historically significant venue. Livia Nervi curates Unravel.
Key facts
- Gala Porras-Kim's practice combines drawing, sculpture, video, performance, installation, archival research, and institutional critique.
- Her works include 228 Offerings for the Rain at the Peabody Museum (2021), 109 West Mexico Ceramics from LACMA Collection: Colima Index (2017), 530 National Treasures (2023), and 37 Uprooted Artifacts (2023).
- She created a 'hot room' after visiting the Museo de Arte de Ponce in Puerto Rico, addressing humidity and conservation.
- She keeps an ongoing list of ideas in her notes app, never deleting entries.
- For the 61st Venice Biennale, In Minor Keys, curated by Koyo Kouoh, she combined existing and new works in a room in the Artiglierie that was historically an arms room.
- The Biennale exhibition schedule was five months instead of the usual seven.
- She worked with the curatorial team and had access to the V&A for research.
- The interview was recorded for blaxRADIO's Unravel, curated by Livia Nervi, part of blaxTARLINES' intervention at the 61st International Art Exhibition La Biennale di Venezia.
Entities
Artists
- Gala Porras-Kim
- Livia Nervi
- Koyo Kouoh
Institutions
- blaxRADIO
- blaxTARLINES
- Peabody Museum
- LACMA
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- British Museum
- Museo de Arte de Ponce
- Museo delle Civiltà
- V&A
- La Biennale di Venezia
- NERO Editions
- Commonwealth and Council
Locations
- Puerto Rico
- Venice
- Italy
- Yucatán
- Mexico
- Rome
- Giza
- Egypt
- Los Angeles
- United States
- London
- United Kingdom