Art, Diversity & Inclusion

Mexicanisimo - created by Yancy Villa Calvo in collaboration with Bethania Baray, Alberto Gaspar, Agustin Diaz-Tellez and Andre Silveira.

Latinx artists coming together for a multimedia fusion project where Aztec rhythm and classical arts intersect through expressionism abstract paint and video. “We come together to portray the beauty of our roots and what we bring to the Memphis community as Mexican immigrants,” says Villa-Calvo. The exhibit features artwork by Villa-Calvo, which includes canvases that have been painted by Gaspar’s and Díaz’s feet while dancing classical ballet and moving to Aztec rhythms. Villa-Calvo then interjected painting strokes to capture the musical variations of Baray’s opera singing, which helped bring all four art forms (opera, ballet, painting, and Aztec dance) together. In addition, an installation by Brazilian videomaker André Silveira will feature the creative inspiration provided by the interaction of the artists. This is a modern representation of the Ollin, an Aztec glyph that represents the search of unity and balance – the movement of a universal understanding among the opposites. At a time when Mexican immigrants are perceived by some as ‘liabilities’ and fitted often into stereotypes, the artists invite the community to be amazed and discover the unexpected.