Alum Sofia Cordova GS'05 has a solo show, Bilongo Esmeralda (Let the Devil Take Style).

Sofia Córdova’s work in Bilongo Esmeralda is an extension of her operatic video and performance series that imagines a dystopian future; the world is overtaken by water and we have become migrants, adrift, seeking refuge and trying to make meaning of bizarre artifacts of our current present. Córdova’s newly commissioned installation literally brings the viewer aboard this science fiction with ship-like elements, including a tattered sail, onto which a feature video is projected. Cordova, who is Puerto-Rican, began this project as an exploration of Caribbean diaspora and the immigrant experience, but opens it up to explore a broader, more universal experience of not belonging.

An outdoor screening of the entirety of her video suite, Echoes of A Tumbling Throne (Odas Al Fin De Los Tiempos), accompanied by a live, experimental score performed by Cordova and Matt Kirkland (collectively known as XUXA SANTAMARIA) will take place on Friday, September 18, 6pm in Frank H. Ogawa Plaza.

About the Artist: Sofia Córdova’s expansive practice encompasses photography, video, performance, sound and installation to create a narrative addressing concerns of Caribbean diaspora. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Córdova uses various alter egos to embody feelings to displacement and cultural schism through the lens of pop music and science fiction. She has performed at SFMOMA, SOMArts and Galeria De La Raza. Córdova’s work has been exhibited at the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, AMOA-Arthouse in Austin, Southern Exposure, Queen’s Nails and International Center of Photography. She was awarded the 2014-2015 Kala Fellowship and her work is part of Pier 24’s permanent collection. She has a BFA from St. John’s University in Queens, New York and and MFA from California College of the Arts in San Francisco. Córdova lives and works in Oakland.

About the Curator: Suzanne L'Heureux is an Oakland based curator, arts organizer, writer and educator. She received her Masters in Art History from American University in Washington, DC and currently teaches art history at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. L'Heureux founded and directs Interface Gallery an alternative art space in Oakland's Temescal District, as well as Temescal Street Cinema, a free outdoor movie series, highlighting the work of Bay Area artists.