Spots, Dots, Pips, Tiles:
An Exhibition about Dominoes
Curated by Arden Sherman & Maria Elena Ortiz
October 13, 2016 – February 11, 2017
Hunter East Harlem Gallery
Featuring:
José Bento, Papo Colo, Donna Conlon & Jonathan Harker, Donald Evans, Radamés “Juni” Figueroa, Sarah Hotchkiss, Adriana Lara Glendalys Medina, Hélio Oiticica, Rodolfo Peraza, Kenny Rivero, Betye Saar, Edra Soto & Dan Sullivan, Tafa, Ana Maria Tavares, Talwst, Erika Verzutti, Nari Ward, Lawrence Weiner
June 29 – October 29, 2017
Perez Art Museum Miami
Featuring:
Papo Colo, Donna Conlon & Jonathan Harker, Donald Evans, Öyvind Fahlström, Radamés “Juni” Figueroa, Adriana Lara, Glendalys Medina, Oscar Murillo, Rodolfo Peraza, José Patricio, Robin Rhode, Kenny Rivero, Betye Saar, Curtis Santiago, Edra Soto & Dan Sullivan, Donald Sultan, Ana Maria Tavares, Nari Ward, and Lawrence Weiner
Spots, Dots, Pips, Tiles: An Exhibition about Dominoes is a group exhibition showcasing artworks that reflect the multilayered aspects of the domino game, a tradition that is heavily practiced in the neighborhood of East Harlem and communities with strong Caribbean ties. The show features over 19 international contemporary artists working in a variety of media, including painting, mixed-media, sculpture, installation, and video.
Spots, Dots, Pips, Tiles examines how artists have approached the game of dominoes—its history, community, strategy, and aesthetics—as metaphor and practice. Dominoes, a popular game with origins dating to ancient China, has a discernible aesthetic, political vantage point and offers a look into specific communities that grow around the domino table.
Spots, Dots, Pips, Tiles is threaded with examples of artists addressing the complexities of dominoes as game and a metaphor for community, aesthetic inspiration, and theory for international relationships. Inside the gallery, visitors encounted a documentary section containing over two dozen historical and contemporary photographs and ephemera from around the world, underscoring the breadth of the game internationally.