Firelei Báez – Re-memory (to be spoken complete) (2018)

Louisiana Poster, published in conjunction with Louisiana's exhibition with the Dominican-American artist Firelei Báez (b. 1981) – her first solo exhibition in Europe. Monumental paintings and installations full of poetry, pain and immense beauty confront the hegemonic language of power of the Western world. Old maps, architectural drawings and book pages are the tangible and vital starting points for her paintings.

The power and energy that flows from Firelei Báez's work is overwhelming. She paints strong, poetic images on old diagrams such as maps, book pages, and architectural drawings, moving effortlessly back and forth between abstraction and figuration.

Báez thrives on contradictions and ambiguities. Her works intertwine notions of beauty with the specter of violence; personal perspectives blend with grand historical narratives, Caribbean mythology fuses with science fiction. A common thread running through her work is the experiences and representation of the Black diaspora, and a desire to challenge preconceived and oppressive ideas about identity and history.

The diagrams that Báez incorporates into her art are primarily derived from a historical context of European and American dominance, achieved through colonization, slavery, and the exploitation of natural resources. They become a defining framework for the artist and influence the content that is subsequently painted. This influence goes beyond the historical and political connotations of a given diagram and also includes its formal aesthetics.

Louisiana's commitment to American art only makes it even more exciting to present Firelei Báez's first solo exhibition in Europe. The exhibition will then travel to the Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, which, together with Louisiana, is among the few European museums to have acquired the artist's works for its collection.