Installation view: “Unoriginal Genius” at Laundromat Art Space, Miami FL. Curated by Ross Karlan.
Photo: Zachary Balber
Celebrate National Poetry Month with curator and Art Muse director Ross Karlan in a virtual discussion with artists André Azevedo, Katelyn Kopenhaver, Javier Martín and Gabriel Pessoto from the current exhibition Unoriginal Genius on view at Laundromat Art Space in Miami, FL.
Unoriginal Genius is an exploration of visual poetry and poetics, inspired by Marjorie Perloff’s 2010 book of the same name—celebrating its 15th anniversary—and marking one year since her passing.
Perloff argues that the idea of originality fades with the onset of the digital age and hyper-information. Instead, poets turn to citation, recycling, and other “unoriginal” means of expression. She uses both historical and contemporary examples, grounding her analysis in the works of Walter Benjamin and the Brazilian concrete poets and moving through the conceptual poetry of Kenneth Goldsmith, for example. She posits that poetry in our current age blurs the line between pure creation and curation of information, a tension these artists explore through tackling the concept of originality and the crisis of our digital world.
Participants will be emailed a Zoom link prior to the event. NOTE: This program will take place at 5:30pm Pacific / 8:30 pm Eastern.
This program is presented free of charge as part of National Poetry Month and our Art as Solace series. Donations to our non-profit Art Muse Academy are welcome to support our internship and other public programming. Donate HERE