Join 2016 ICP-Bard student Groana Melendez at the MFA Studios for her solo thesis exhibition, El Nombre Mío, Ajeno.

El Nombre Mío, Ajeno is an exhibition of photographs, videos and other lens-based works by Groana Melendez. In this work Groana creates an understanding of the interconnectedness of relationships, class and identity. The title originates from the poem, El Apellido/My Last Name, by Nicolás Guillén, a Cuban poet who worked towards creating a synthesis between ancestries and different cultures. The line loosely translates as “my foreign name” which denotes the history of colonization and the fractured identities that resulted.

Groana’s practice is a response to her parent’s emigration from the Dominican Republic and the pull between two different upbringings. What started off as a concern for representation and witnessing her relatives in a moment in time, transformed into describing the complicated layers within families. Originally these ties were nurtured through face-to-face contact, but now they also thrive in the digital realm. This led to the artist’s exploration of her own alienation and marks a turning point in her artistic practice.

Opening Reception
February 25 | Thursday | 6–9 pm

On View
February 26–28 | Friday–Saturday | 2–6 pm

Directions
The ICP-Bard MFA Studios are located at 24-20 Jackson Avenue in Queens. Take the E or M train to Court Square-23rd Street, 7 or G train to Court Square, or the B62 Bus to Jackson Ave/David St.