nobody's soldier: screams before the fall

CP Projects Space at the School of Visual Arts is pleased to present nobody’s soldier: screams before the fall, curated by MA Curatorial Practice student Justin Apice. The title is inspired by Irish artist Hozier’s ​​“Nobody’s Soldier.” Hozier tells the experience of witnessing war and violence worldwide in the digital age, including the mental health strain of being exposed to others’ suffering and the frustration of feeling helpless or complicit. The exhibition exists as a reaction to the existential dread and the specter of resurgent fascism throughout the world, and particularly in the U.S.. Following Donald Trump’s return to politics, the cultural paradigms in our country have shifted, and so have the lives of artists today. This exhibition serves as a model of defiance and a practice of artistic freedom amid a national push to silence artists who speak out against the country’s injustices. If this decade is the last in which our liberties are somewhat intact, then this exhibition is a testament intended to rival the fall of freedom and rebel against the authoritarian voices that attack the people. 

nobody’s soldier: screams before the fall draws inspiration from recent acts of political violence and the fervent rise of social protest. The exhibition brings together works that represent specific struggles and personal experiences, which, when introduced into an exhibition space, culminate in a much-needed collective narrative of urgency. Ola Rondiak, a Ukrainian-American artist, reflects on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, contrasting the beauty and resilience of women in conflict with the starkness of charcoal. Delano Dunn’s mixed-media collage explores questions of racial identity and perception in a polarized and racially charged society. Emilie Lemakis creates evocative textual works that inspire her audiences to respond, unapologetically, to the present moment. Jose Flores, a Mexican-American artist, uses American flags to navigate the tension between reverence for his country and resistance to assaults on personal liberty. Meena Kabbani explores her dual identity as both an American and a Palestinian woman through an installation symbolizing her cultural memory and desire for peace. Stella Rose, a United Nations speaker and global humanitarian, issues a bold call for rebellion in her abstract acrylic paintings.