Social issues are driven by currents of cultural transitions. At the core of this project rests the desire to understand how contemporary structures mold and transform individual lives, gender, social power, and the ideologies of class systems. 

Inspired by the Latin expression that translates to “of its own kind”, Sui Generis reveals shifting identities embedded in today’s social and cultural environments.

An experimental and progressive approach is the result of a curatorial collaboration between interdisciplinary artists, Carol-Anne McFarlane and Sophie Bonet, where the theory of intersectionality serves as paramount for advancing social awareness, inspiring solidarity on a trans-cultural, trans-generational, and trans-disciplinary level. 

A heterogeneous group of artists was invited to reclaim space, freely, without censure, presenting a wide range of multidisciplinary expressions of identity and sociopolitical discourse. Touching upon politics, migration, belief systems, self-analysis, and self-preservation, here the viewer is invited to reflect on ever-changing society, prompting questions of “who determines what is normal?”, “how do we establish new value systems?” and “how do we move from analysis into action?”.

Curatorial Team

Sophie Bonet

CAROL-ANNE MCFARLANE

Location

ArtServe

1350 E SUNRISE BLVD. FORT LAUDERDALE, FL

This exhibition was initially conceived through the usual means. Then the last two years happened. As we survived the changes, the interruptions, and the restrictions, we developed coping mechanisms. We turned from planning to responding.

In response to our environment, our living conditions, and the political structures around us, we looked inward, longed for connection, and many of us desired to escape.

In the practice of response, decolonization, of re-examining power structures and hierarchies, we looked to our community and accessed our communal knowledge and networks.

From this experience, Sui Generis was reimagined. Stepping down from the hierarchical view of the curator/artist relationship, Sophie and I have taken the role of facilitators, encouraging an exhibition where the artist’s vision and voice came first. Through this process, we accelerate the advancement and dissemination of communal knowledge, allowing new connections and envisioning new possible futures.

Carol-Anne McFarlane, Facilitator Statement

January 21st, 2022 | Sui Generis Opening Reception