ModA Curations Presents: ‘Being Human’

About

ModA Curations is pleased to present Being Human, an inaugural group exhibition curated by Esther Fan and Sia Fang that explores the human elements and cultural meanings in artist narratives, from placemaking in diaspora and displaced afterlives, to recentering femininity and reconfiguring Blackness. The exhibition presents the work of seven contemporary, international artists whose work exemplifies the interplay between human body and nature; the everyday, fantastical and grotesque; and the conceptualization of things as living through the artists’ worlds. Being Human will be on view at 456 W Broadway from March 14 – March 20, 2024, on floors 1F + 2F and B1, with an opening reception on March 14 from 7-10 pm and daily programming featuring public talks, performances, workshops, and panels. For more information please visit moda-curations.com and RSVP to the opening reception here.

Founded by George Fan in October 2023, ModA Curations is a sub-entity of Modern Anthropology (ModA) Studios, and was created to serve as a cultural archive, building a library of resistance, reclamation, and representation for contemporary artists presenting bi-annual exhibitions in a pop-up format. The directorial team, composed of career anthropologists versed in contemporary art and curation, recognizes the growing need for diverse and nuanced representation, and champions artists as authors of their own experiences. Guided by a philosophy grounded in socio-cultural anthropology, artists are empowered to regain agency in the valuation of their work by emphasizing the importance of cultural relativity in the understanding of their art. 

The directorial team at ModA Curations states, “In a modern era defined by multicultural individualism and social disparity, the true telling of diverse stories becomes imperative. With this inaugural exhibition, we’re excited for viewers to experience the possibilities of bridging anthropology and contemporary art, and to, perhaps, discover echoes of their own humanity.”

Featuring seven artists and curated across three floors of their pop-up location at 456 W Broadway, Being Human presents the work of contemporary artists Amalia Caputo, Juliana Correa, Alexander James, Claudia Koh, Phoebe Quin Kong, Zahra Mansoor, and Ara Oshagan, working across mediums including archival prints, oil on canvas and silk, textiles, photography, and acrylic on canvas. The exhibition aims to evoke the personal and shared experiences that come with navigating the human condition by placing art in conversation with anthropology, calling attention to the socio-cultural elements of our ways of being.