Tropical Zincphony
An exhibition by Donna Conlon
and Jonathan Harker
April 2014 - October 2014
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In Tropical Zincphony, Conlon and Harker play with a typical Panamanian scene: a mango falls onto a zinc roof. In the video, the mango goes on a sensorial journey through an abstract zinc landscape of unpredictability and tropical improvisation. At a certain point in its trip, the lonely mango is surpassed by a stampede of wild mangos, evoking notions of collectivity, individuality, and loneliness. Color, texture, sound and rhythm are used in a playful manner to explore the roles of unpredictability and improvisation of life in the tropics.
The work of Donna Conlon (United States, 1966) is a socio-archaeological study of her immediate surroundings. She uses objects and images from daily life to reveal the idiosyncrasies of human nature and the contradictions inherent to our contemporary lifestyle.
Jonathan Harker (Quito, 1975) utilizes irony and hyperbole to subvert the language and conventions used to narrate stories. His work reveals the fabricated nature of identity, both personal and collective.
Harker and Conlon (Panama) started to work together in 2006. Their work combines interests and procedures from their individual practices. Conlon and Harker have presented their colaborations in solo exhibitions at Diablo Rosso, Panama (2014), Neuberger Museum, Purchase, NY (2014), Los del Patio cultural center, Panama (2011), Museu Dragão do Mar, Fortaleza, Brasil (2009), TEOR/éTica, San Jose, Costa Rica (2009) and at Samson Projects gallery, Boston (2007). They have also participated together at group exhibitions including: Saber Desconocer: 43 Salón (Inter)Nacional de Artistas, Medellin, Colombia (2013); The World Over, Prefix Institute of Contemporary Art, Toronto, Canada (2013); Caribbean: Crossroads of the World, El Museo del Barrio, New York (2012);Geopoéticas: 8th Mercosul Biennial, Porto Alegre, Brasil, (2011); Afuera! Arte en Espacios Públicos, El Panal, Cordoba, Argentina (2010); Utrópicos: XXXI Pontevedra Biennial, Pontevedra, Spain (2010); X Habana Biennial (2009); Consumer, Palais du Tokyo, Paris (2009); and at Estrecho dudoso, Museum of Contemporary Art and Design, San Jose, Costa Rica (2006). In 2010, Conlon and Harker received a production scholarship from Harpo Foundation. Their collaborations belong to prestigious collections including Centro Gallego de Arte Contemporaneo, the Kadist Art Foundation, the Patricia Phelps de Cisneros Collection, Queensland Art Gallery and Tate Modern.