Aquarius Pluto
Aesthetics of Revolution
Coming June 2023
621 Gallery, Tallahassee, FL
Tallahassee is a unique city in that many of its artists are also prominent activists. The cultural impact by these individuals becomes twofold and concentrated. As a welcoming nod to Aquarius Pluto, a revolutionary astrological placement which arrived in March, this exhibition is about the exponential positive change in community when art and activism intersect.
still from the documentary film Batay La by Malia Bruker, to be screened
This group exhibition will feature the intermedial works produced by several artists and/or their local activist collectives. All content will be reflective of Tallahassee’s various community engagement projects focused on making the capital city a better place. nik rye approaches this as an artistic process within their practice in the form of community curation.
photograph by nik rye in documentation of an event co-organized by artist Shelby Evans
“Using the aesthetics of protest, including the cultivation of community, it is my hope that this group exhibition will empower everyone involved. By collecting the visual imagery related to Talllahassee’s dedicated organizations into one space, I expect an undeniable truth to emerge: change is possible when we fight for it.”
documentation by nik rye of their participatory performance, Keith Stafford Was Murdered
Community engagement (praxis) and social engagement (practice) are inherently connected. For a brighter future to occur, the culture must shift. In the fight for justice, artists are profoundly important providing the visuals for cultural revolution. This group exhibition will highlight the artist-activists of Tallahassee who have undoubtedly imprinted upon this city by showcasing both their artworks and protest objects they have helped actualize.
This exhibition behaves as a community access point, inspiring the citizens of Tallahassee to engage more with their local community. Events like film screenings, food shares, workshops, music shows, and organizational meetings will all take place within the main gallery.
protest flyer documenting collaborative action in Tallahassee
nik rye is an interdisciplinary artist, teacher, community curator, and writer whose areas of study and practice include Social Justice, Organizational Theory, Social Practice, Narratology, and Mass Communication. Inspired by cycles of reinvention within their own life as a previously houseless person, nik rye works toward the cultivation of collective joy and radical love within the collective human experience.
In 2020, they founded Tally Community Aid, a mutual aid collective addressing the needs of low-income individuals. Previously, they have served as an organizer for Food Not Bombs, Black Lives Matter Alliance of Broward, We Can House Ann, and Food Not Bombs Free Skool; as a member of Slingshot!, Plantasia Community Garden, RYPE, and The Plant.
nik rye received an AS from Broward College, a BA from Florida State University, and is currently an MFA candidate at FSU.
