Cornell University: Correspondence between New York City and Port-au-Prince [Lecture]

Dialogue and Publication Launch 

Dear Friends, 
Hope you can join me, and fellow artists/scholars Rejin Leys, Jerry Philogene and Andy Robert for an artist talk and publication launch. 
Date: Friday, November 4, 2016
Time: 6:00 PM
Location: Cornell University AAP NYC, 26 Broadway, 20th floor
More information below and via this link. 

Dialogue and Publication Launch: Correspondence between NYC and P-au-P. 

Nathalie Jolivert, Rejin Leys, Jerry Philogene, and Andy Robert present their individual practices as a point of departure for a conversation on art related to the spaces of New York City and Port-au-Prince. Considering the artist studio as a space of production and at times also of living, most artists submerged in the city gather and repurpose material from the spaces around them, both physical found objects and mental observations. Through their work, artists participate in the transformation of the urban fabric. The relationship between an artwork and the context in which it is produced is not a monolog, but a conversation wherein the two engage with each other in dialogue that subsequently changes both.

The conversation will address subjects related to the mapping of non-Euclidean spaces — whether it be a celestial or subaltern space, informal economies, or psychogeographies — investigating their effects on the produced artworks and contemplating the relationship to the spaces of production. When these non-Euclidean works are brought into proximity of architecture, how will they alter the space?

The conversation will be moderated by Visiting Lecturer Alva Mooses, followed by the launch of the limited edition publication Correspondence between NYC & P-au-P, which Mooses developed over the past year as a means of connecting artworks and writing from the two metropoles.

The Rooftop Flyers

The Rooftop Flyers. June 2016 . Submittal to the 14x48 Campaign to repurpose vacant billboards in New York City

This illustration draws inspiration from the subculture of rooftop pigeon herders in New York. Two summers ago, I was working with a few artists and we were hanging out on their rooftop in Brooklyn, when around 5pm, we witnessed a swarm of pigeons fly out from a rooftop in what looked like a well-studied choreography. The oldest artist, who has lived in NY all his life, explained to us that this was a game that the residents in the area played. They inherited this tradition from European immigrants and appropriated it in Brooklyn.

“Pigeons are social animals”, the artist explained. The owners who lose their pigeons to their neighbors’ flocks will later have to pay a sum to get them back. It was a nice evening in Brooklyn and it was quite calming for us to see the pigeons fly out from each rooftop and eventually group with each other.

With summer, the season of rooftop gatherings is upon us. And with it the tradition of pigeon-herding. However, with the city expanding and the number of high-rise buildings soaring, I wonder what impact this may have on this age-old cherished tradition above ground, and what it ultimately means in the context of human-scale interactions, the animals and nature that have to co-habit.

About the 14x48 Campaign

14x48 repurposes vacant billboards as public art space in order to create more opportunities in public art for emerging artists, to challenge emerging artists to engage more with public art, and to enliven the vibrancy of our urban environment.

5 Design Elements to Think about when building in Haïti

Contribution to the blog AyiboPOSt: 

If you are interested in building in Haiti and are ready to speak with an architect about your exciting new plans, here are five design elements you can follow to create a nice environment for yourself. They are all inspired by the historic gingerbread houses of Haiti. 

To find out more, please follow THIS LINK 

Curiosités Urbaines x Chouk Bwa Libète

Chouk Bwa Libète, a Vodou and Roots music band from Gonaïves will be performing at La Lorraine at the occasion of a rotation of work for Curiosités Urbaines. This is their last concert in Haïti before they travel for a tour in Europe this summer. Chouk Bwa Libète has been highly recognized at the World Music Expo WOMEX 2015 in Budapest. 

Here is an intimate portrait video of the band filmed in Sweden in 2015: 

CURIOSITÉS URBAINES 

February 19- June 19 2016 

Curiosités Urbaines is Nathalie Jolivert's first solo exhibition in Haiti. In this body of work, Nathalie explores urban scenes of Port-au-Prince, and plays with the expressions and proverbs often found on the "tap-taps". 

Yale University: "Carnet de Voyages" artbook at Odds and Ends Art Book Fair [Shop]

On Friday December 11, I will participate in Yale University's Odds and Ends Art Book Fair. For this event, my book "Carnet de Voyages" will be exhibited with drawings from my latest black and white series on culture, belonging, migration and nostalgia. Grateful for long-time friend and historian Winter Schneider who wrote  a beautiful preface for this book. 

Field of Fireflies at Local Project

This past Friday, I participated in the "Last Fridays" event at Local Project, a venue for emerging artists based in Queens. It was a great time sharing my recent black and white work on paper, especially since it has been highly influenced by my times commuting in NY this past summer. I was able to sell some of that work, and started a painting based on poet Nichole Acosta's title for her book of poetry "Field of Fireflies". 

Bogota in Images 2015

Photos of modern architecture buildings in Bogota for public use. Amazing how much knowledge is accessible for free in this city: The Luis Angel Arango Library, the Centro Cultural Gabriel Garcia Marquez, la Biblioteca Publica Virgilio Barco, El Museo de Arte del Banco de la Republica, El Museo de Oro 

Celebrating Haitian Culture on your Skin [Shop]

In the past months, I have had the opportunity to work on the branding (logo design) and first illustrations of AYITATTOO, a temporary tattoo business using Haiti's rich culture as main inspiration.

Photographer: Gabriel André | Model: Christie André | Tattoo: Erzulie, Goddess of Love in Haitian Vaudou

AYITATTOO officially launches today and the first five designs: Erzulie, Tèt Chaje, The Palm Tree and the Tap-Tap are up for sale in various stores in Port-au-Prince, Haiti Cultural Exchange's "Boutik" in Crown Heights Brooklyn and worldwide via the internet. 

It has been a lot of fun sharing my designs with friends as first critiques and proud models. I am now really eager to see those shiny, colorful or witty tattoos worn by many more! 

Designed for the Future . Princeton Architectural Press [Interview]

I was interviewed by the landscape designer Jared Green for his book "Designed for the Future; 80 Practical Ideas for a Sustainable World". In my interview, I highlight the efforts of architectural preservation of Gingerbread Houses as inspiration for future architects in Haiti. Other professionals interviewed in this book include idols such as architect Bjarke Ingels and curator Andres Lepik. Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press

"Bringing Down the Walls" published essay in UCLA's Haiti NOW urban almanac [Research]

"Bringing Down the Walls"- essay on the issue of property fence walls in Haiti, published in UCLA's "Haiti NOW" urban almanac. It can also be read online via Disegno Daily. 
Book Description: 
"Haiti Now" is a 700+ page visual almanac that depicts Haiti's issues and opportunities. This comprehensive resource encompasses the nation's modern history, politics, infrastructure, ecology, cultural and social issues through graphics, photography, data and text in both English and French. It is intended to build a common foundation of knowledge and understanding to unite a broad collection of professionals including planners, politicians, aid workers, artists, and other cultural investigators. Its aim is to inspire new possibilities for Haiti's future. 
The essay