Caribbean Art Explores Childhood and Memory in Venice

The exhibition 'Noutoupatou, Mondes caribéens en mouvement' at Galleria APlusA in Venice, running until January 18, features three Caribbean artists: Samuel Gelas (b. 1986, Guadeloupe), Flavio Delice (b. 2001, Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni), and Shamika Germain (b. 2000, Saint Martin). Curated by Paola Lavra, the show is organized in collaboration with Campus Caribéen des Arts and supported by the Institut Français, following a residency and workshop with Julien Creuzet. Gelas's large-scale painting 'Poésie urbaine' (2014) blends Western pop culture with Caribbean imagery, depicting hybrid creatures and a tension between good and evil, referencing mural art. Delice explores abstract notions of home tied to Haiti through sculptures like 'Ti TonTon' and 'Paysanne en exil', and 'Moun Avion' (2024), an anthropomorphic plane crashing into a city, critiquing media stereotypes of immigrants; the work pays homage to Jean-Michel Basquiat. Germain focuses on childhood vulnerability, inspired by her experience in foster care; 'Lait Contrarié' (2024) is a Murano glass breast-shaped ampulla containing milk, symbolizing denied nurturing, and critiques France's failure to provide dignified life in its former colonies.