Where are They?

Where are They?

By: Elias Rafael Decena

April 29^th

From one place to another: After a week or two of my roaming around DUMBO, I went to check out LIC. Ms. Savonna Bailey-McClain together with the whole West Harlem Art Fund Team is on the near-end process of having the Art Tours around New York and one of the destinations is on Long Island City, the reason why I came.

Just a few steps away from The Holiday Inn hotel, where we’re supposed to meet, stands the Fisher Landau Gallery. The gallery was named after Emily Fisher and one not so typical-looking when one view it outside. It’s like an ordinary business building or something. With lots of time to spare I went to check it out only to find out that it was closed for the day *sad*. Why do I always go at the wrong time? *think* Posted on the door of the gallery was a notice saying “2011 MFA Thesis Exhibition. Columbia University School of the Arts” “May 1-22” Dang it! Just a few days away! I should’ve come here on Monday. I felt this deep regret while I was looking at my Metrocard, thinking that it only has $2 on it, just enough to get me home from there *grrrrr*. So I have to refill my card to be able to come back here and that means $20 I love you goodbye! J

May 2^nd

“We sometimes encounter people, even perfect strangers, who begin to interest us at first sight, somehow suddenly, all at once, before a word has been spoken”

-Fydor Dostoevsky, Russian Writer

I think it’s going to be a pretty crowded place if I had gotten back here at LIC on the 1^st of May for the exhibition’s first day, so I chose this day, a day after, to check out what these students of the university has for the audience. And of course, this will be an opportunity for me to interview some of them for my story-blog. *entering the gallery*

Receptionist: Hi how are you?

Me: I’m good how are you? Hey, can I get some of these (pointing at the pamphlets)

Receptionist: Sure and we have another there

Me: Thank you J *why did I even ask if I could get some, it’s on the table for the people, duhhhh*

Wow! Is this a pamphlet, it’s like a manual or something, I was accustomed to pamphlets just being sheets of papers with description on them, but not like this, it’s like back to school. I opened the pages and saw the list of the names of the students who are supposed to exhibit their work on respective dates. This is a lot! So much for reading, I entered the gallery hall where the art-works are displayed. I was alone, completely alone that I could almost hear the sound of my breathing. Where are they? Still, I proceeded and wandered.

Compared to the galleries of DUMBO, the Fisher Landau gallery, in my perspective, has a select work of art displayed. Given that this is a thesis exhibition for master of fine arts students, one can distinguish that only a number of art is given space inside. Maybe because of the number of students exhibiting their work and the gallery has no space enough for them or the gallery just picks its choice that I don’t know.

It was all very new to me; I had this feeling even before I had seen the work inside this gallery. It’s as if the place had spoken to me of what kind of gallery the fisher Landau is going to be, even before I get a first-hand look at it. I guess this is what staying in DUMBO for two weeks does to someone who always spend time at a crepe café beside galleries *laughs, I miss the crepe*

A variety of forms of art can be seen inside the gallery, photographs, sculptures, digitals, paintings and many more. Back at DUMBO, though I connected with the art, I never felt closer to anything like in here before. Maybe because of my age, being only 19 and writing for the promulgation of art, somehow I feel isolated with what I’m used to do. But here I felt some connection. Of course, they were CONTEMPORARY. New art which speaks to people of present age. Fresh and hot, these arts are mixtures of the influence of the past, dictates of the present and the promise of the future. Though some can be really abstract, one would know how ingenious the artists of these are. The only question I had at the time was: where are they?

I was turning my head side to side, glancing at corners, behind walls back and forth the gallery proper. I was looking for the artists, I was looking for people! So I asked the receptionist

Me: Uhhmm, excuse me, are the artists going to be here today

Receptionist: I’m not so sure, they came here yesterday, but I’m not so sure if they will come here today

Gosh…

So I went home, without any word of an artist featured at the gallery. But I brought home with me a feeling refreshment even though I didn’t see the artists.

Later: Osama bin Laden is dead!

People of America are all rejoicing for this momentous event. And I thought, isn’t it a little soon to celebrate even without SEEING any photo of the guy to confirm that he really is terminated?

But thinking of the time just this same day when I got to Fisher Landau gallery, when I felt that certain feeling anew. I knew then on that maybe some things are just as exciting to a person, while in its presence or not. Just like the people of America, rejoicing over the victory without visible proof given to the public, how could I deny a feeling that is so exciting for me, even though it’s not really there?