There’s a new contemporary exhibit space in the Elmwood Village called the Buffalo Institute for Contemporary Art (BICA). On Friday, March 1, the venue will play host to Charmed: A Bonanza Retrospective – a retrospective of work by the Oakland based artist collaborative Bonanza Bonanza. Artists Lindsay Tully, Lana Williams, and Conrad Guevara will take over the venue, by featuring works in a range of mediums, including sculpture and painting, multiple fashion lines, short films, stand-up comedy, and immersive installations. In addition, as part of their six-year collaborative art practice, the art collective will also stage a fashion runway show on May 18* that is considered “a celebration of ecstatic resistance and acceptance.”
To explore new ways to understand identity and community with artists from the Bay Area.
On the exhibition, Bonanza says: “We are excited to take the long view of the last 6 years of Bonanza. It’s especially exciting to have this comprehensive exhibition opportunity in Buffalo with a new audience far removed from our Bay Area sensibility. The retrospective format offers the keys to unlocking our vibe which remains focused on abstraction and attire as a means for developing a porousness understanding of identity and community. We are also super down to meet some new weirdos in Buffalo.”
The artists have produced several films, including their first film, The Initiation, a horror film that satirizes the rise of big tech in San Francisco and The Drought which investigates the effects (real and imagined) of the water crisis. They are currently working on a new film about a Uber service for dogs.
“We’re excited to bring Bonanza to Buffalo because of the city’s legacy of abstract art and the way their work provides a future-facing expansion of the movement,” said Curators Emily Ebba Reynolds & Nando Alvarez-Perez. “They have a beautiful way of building connections between enclaves of interesting people through their own collaborative practice and participatory projects that we hope will leave a lasting impression on Buffalo.”
What would it look like if an artist designed and operated municipal government? A hospital? Your bank? Bonanza is interested in experimenting with methods of becoming, breaking, and remaking an institute.
Bonanza and the Buffalo Institute for Contemporary Art
Opening a retrospective exhibition with runway show, artist talk, screening night, and opening reception
Friday, March 1, 2019, 5 – 10 PM (First Friday)
The BICA Garage, 324 Elmwood Ave, Buffalo NY 14222
Bonanza will stage three exhibitions alongside interdisciplinary workshops and lectures, and invite various partners and communities to participate in events based around the artists’ works.
*In the spirit of meeting new weirdos, Bonanza and BICA are looking for 15 – 20 models to walk in the fashion show on May 18. Email emily@thebica.org to learn more.