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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 lives. 1.5 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.
View full invite desktop image
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. | 
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