Vernacular Systems: the 2024 CAM Perennial exhibition

In partnership with Contemporary Art Month, Contemporary at Blue Star is thrilled to host the 2024 CAM Perennial exhibition, Vernacular Systems, curated by Christopher Blay. Through an array of media, Vernacular Systems highlights themes of interconnectivity from both personal and globalized perspectives. The featured artists reflect on our inherent human desire to connect to the world around us, whether it be with nature, family, work, or history. For instance, Alán Serna’s artwork utilizes familial archives and experiences in tandem with traditional printmaking and mass-produced ephemera to relay his family’s stories. In Bajo el Mismo Sol (Under the Same Sun), Serna documents his family’s bond through shared labor — his artistic labor and the manual labor of his migrant family.

The exhibiting artists also critique the histories and systems that thrive on disconnection. In Nela Garzón’s painting, Things Go Better with Coke, the artist creates a colorful canvas that illustrates the use of pesticides despite the massive environmental harm to the planet and human lives. Specifically, this artwork references the massive U.S. governmental push for Colombia to utilize aerial pesticides in an attempt to stop narcotraffic and Coca-Cola’s exploitation of coco leaves from Peru and Colombia.

Through their own unique visual language, the exhibiting artists reflect on invisible connections that unite us, be it through opportunities or obstacles. Some connections remain unnoticed, while others we feel and see in our day-to-day lives.