Alicia Marván, “Auxiliary Constructions, Volume 1,” May 22 – June 26, 2015

Exhibit Catalog, Alicia Marván, Auxiliary Constructions, Volume 1

Alicia Marván is dedicated to contemporary and experimental practices. Her interdisciplinary approach to art and life has led her to an ongoing investigation of a variety of media that explores space, form, movement, time and thought, often in relationship to the human body. Auxiliary Constructions, volume 1 is a play-scape inspired by organic aggregate forms. This installation was designed specifically for BAS’s Joanna Angie Gallery and complements the concrete floors while echoing the yellow guidelines from the building’s industrial past. The resulting forms rhythmically climb and fall like a landscape viewed at a distance.

The installation triggers complex stimuli for the viewer, enabling a cross-dialogue between the sculpture, the architecture, and the viewer’s senses. This is the first in a series of works framed by the psychological term “auxiliary constructions.” This term is used to describe objects, situations and activities humans create to cope with distress and achieve happiness – what is referred to as “the pleasure principle.” Viewers are encouraged to interact and even play with the installation, Enjoying the pleasurable experience of creative release while also constructing a new visual experience for the next viewer. Like the sections of the sculpture itself, each interaction dovetails into the next, connecting individuals and experiences across time and space.

Alicia Marván is the Director of the Guapamacataro Center for Art and Ecology in Mexico as well as an Associate Artist with Lower Left Performance Collective in the USA and Europe. She collaborates with independent artists from different disciplines and her work has received support from cultural and academic institutions in Mexico, USA, Canada, and around the world. She has lectured and taught in the subjects of art history, social science, art and sustainability, cultural development, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Please note that BAS will be CLOSED June 29 – July 4, 2015.

Major exhibition Support:
Double Tree Club Hotel by Hilton Buffalo Downtown
Erie County Cultural Funding
M&T Bank
NYSCA Visual Arts Program
Additional Support:
Ashker’s Juice Bar
North American Breweries
City of Buffalo
Gates Circle Wine & Liquor
Individual donors