Generation 1.5 , June 10 – December 2, 2007

If a person comes to America as an adult, he or she is referred to as a first generation immigrant. Children of immigrants are called second generation.  But, if they come when they are in their adolescence, they are called generation 1.5. The 1.5 generation is a group of people who are not children and not yet adults, literate but not yet fully intellectually formed.   1.5 members are old enough to be fluent in their home language and culture, but have less difficulty adjusting to change than their first-generation counterparts.  Often characterized by cultural hybridity, 1.5ers navigate various cultural perspectives from the inside, while often feeling un-tethered to any one homeland.

Artists of this generation take part in dexterous manipulations of artistic modes and materials as they engage with diverse personal, social, and intellectual contexts.  Along with their freedom of movement, these artists enjoy an ability to walk the line between assimilation and dissent, and are uniquely capable of critiquing their native country as well as their adopted ones. 1.5, on view at the Queens Museum of Art from June 10th - December 2nd, 2007, is an exhibition that highlights the work of these artists. The exhibition examines whether artists of the 1.5 generation propose a particular orientation to their work as they are confronted by issues of immigration, cultural dislocation, memory, hybridity, acceptance, and exile in their everyday lives1.5 includes stirring and thought-provoking works produced by eight artists—Ellen Harvey, Pablo Helguera, Emily Jacir, Lee Mingwei, Shirin Neshat, Seher Shah, Rirkrit Tiravanija, and Nari Ward—including works never before exhibited in New York.  Accompanying the exhibition, will be a full slate of programs and events.  1.5 is curated by Queens Museum of Art Executive Director Tom Finkelpearl and Chief Curator Valerie Smith. 

In lieu of a printed catalogue, Generation 1.5 will feature an online component that will grow throughout the time of the exhibition. The material there will serve as the foundation for a catalogue (to be published after the exhibition) with writers, sociologists, anthropologists, filmmakers, other visual artists interested in the issues that attend the 1.5 generation.

Funding Credits
1.5 is made possible with funding generously provided by Crystal Windows and Door Systems, Ltd.; The Lily Auchincloss Foundation; the National Endowment for the Arts; the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs; the New York State Council on the Arts; and the Taiwan Cultural Center.


Generation 1.5 - Opening Reception
June 10, 3 – 6 pm
Join us on Sunday June 10 for the opening of 1.5. Light Refreshments & Finale Concert by Trio Tarana, led by 1.5 Generation percussionist/composer Ravish Momin who spent his childhood in Mumbai & Bahrain and currently resides in New York City. With Trio Tarana, Indian, Middle Eastern and East-Asian rhythms become the foundation for a new creative musical experience that seamlessly blends written material with spontaneous group interaction.
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Photo credits: Ellen Harvey, A Whitney for the Whitney at Philip Morris (detail), 2003. Gilded frame, twenty 10 x 4 foot / 304 x 123 cm wood panels painted in oils, dropped ceiling, recent acquisitions, catalog. Photo: Jan Baracz, Courtesy of the artist and Luxe Gallery, New York. Pablo Helguera, Los Dias Vacios, 1993. Performance documentation. Courtesy of the artist and Galeria Enrique Guerrero, Mexico City. Emily Jacir, linz diary, 2003, Set of 26 photographs. 8 x 8 3/4 inches / 20.5 x 22.5 cm. Edition of 11. Courtesy of Alexander and Bonin, New York. Lee Mingwei, Quartet Project, 2005-2007, Interactive multimedia installation (detail view). Courtesy of the artist and Lombard-Freid Projects, New York. Collection of Yeh Rong-jia Culture & Art Foundation, Taiwan. Shirin Neshat, The Last Word, 2003. Production Still-Photo: Larry Barns © Shirin Neshat. Courtesy of the artist and Gladstone Gallery, New York. Seher Shah, Interior courtyard 2 (detail), 2006. From the series Jihad Pop Progression 5. Graphite on paper, 80 x 130 inches. Courtesy of the artist and Bose Pacia Gallery, New York. Rirkrit Tiravanija Untitled (passport), 2005. Paper, facsimile of the artist's passport. Courtesy of the artist and neugerriemschneider, Berlin. Nari Ward, Salvage Research Soul Training Project (Installation view at the Contemporary Art Galleries, University of Connecticut), 2007. Mixed media installation. Courtesy of the artist.

 
 

Press Contact: Krista Saunders (718) 592-9700, ext. 221, ksaunders@queensmuseum.org