Lysa Flores

PRESS RELEASE The MexiCali Biennial is pleased to announce the inaugural installment of its bi-national, dual-venue exhibition of contemporary art and music. Featuring artists and musicians from southern California and the bordering Mexican states, the MexiCali Biennial aims to provide a platform for border crossing, progressive art exhibitions and events. These events encourage dynamic cultural exchanges that resonate within the fluid context of the US-Mexico border. This border biennial distinguishes itself by tapping into the unique aesthetic derived from a culture of art, music and critical dialog evolving from the confluence of both countries in a region defined by its hybridism. The 2006 MexiCali Biennial encompasses two events, one on either side of the US-Mexico border. The first is an exhibition comprised of thirteen Los Angeles-based artists at the Casa de la Tía Tina, an alternative art and music space in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico. The second phase of the biennial is a contemporary multi-media event with visual artists, live bands and DJs from both Los Angeles and Mexicali at Chavez Studios in East Los Angeles, California. Characterized by it open-endedness, the curatorial approach of the organizers reflects the unencumbered nature of cultural diaspora and urban sprawl. Thematic concerns lie in the overarching context of this exhibition being seen as a biennial. Curated solely by invitation, the participating artists are free to address the inherent conditions of the exhibition sites as they see fit. The intent is not to ask artists to respond to issues characteristic of this region, but instead to expose international audiences to the wide variety of artworks that are currently produced intuitively from within this context. Future incarnations of the MexiCali Biennial may occur at odd intervals, as this project is not limited to a bi-annual platform. No restrictions are to apply to venue type which may include institutional, alternative, or non-traditional art spaces as well as conceptual locations such as the internet, public interventions or by word of mouth. Non-regional, international participants will be included in future exhibitions and events. 2006 featured artists include Andrew Armstrong, Jesse Benson, Gomez Bueno, Cindy Santos Bravo, Luis G. Hernandez, Ed Gomez, Skylar Haskard, Gustavo Herrera, Hugo Hopping, Kristi Lippire, Ruben Ochoa, Mike Rogers, and Matt Wardell. Projects involve on and off-site installations and border-crossing interventions including Ed Gomez’s “100 Envelopes from Los Angeles to Mexicali”, consisting of 100 envelopes mailed between California and Mexico each containing a one-inch section of a map of the US-Mexican border, to be reassembled in the gallery. Mike Rogers fosters communication in his installation entitled “Telephone/Teléfono” consisting of two 10-foot telephone poles on either side of the border fence separating Calexico and Mexicali, connected by the string and tin cans of a child’s telephone game. Cindy Santos Bravo’s multi-layered construction investigates histories of imposed security barriers across international borders. Musical guests at both events will include Los Angeles-based performer Lysa Flores, whose alternative rock en español sound has earned her recognition as one of the leading voices of the genre north of the border. Flores was named by Newsweek as one of 20 young Latinos to watch in the new millennium. She has toured internationally for over ten years with legendary performer El Vez, and has opened for renowned musicians including Green Day, Los Lobos, Victoria Williams and Jaguares. Multiple musical groups will perform at each event and DJs from Mexicali and Los Angeles will spin.