I am a ‘diaspora’ Latinx. Hola. It means everyone back home thinks I am basic
IN DEVELOPMENT
Performance/Installation, 2022
I am a ‘diaspora’ Latinx. Hola. It means everyone back home thinks I am basic is a live performance of a devil breaking a black piñata. Ramírez corrupts this childhood memory to resemble a sadistic scene, amplifying the darker connotations of this festive ritual. This performance began as a subtle image of pandemic (from the god Pan) that reflects on the nexus between North-South relationships, disease, and capitalism. However, Ramirez’ re-shifted this focus over time as a satire of diaspora art in alignment with his wider push and pull with identity politics, as evidenced in his writing. It also draws from his prior research on the evolving iconography of the devil in art history. The work is made in collaboration with Zamara Zamara on fabrication and Bonnie Cummings on sound.
This project is funded by Multicultural Arts Victoria, as part of their Represent Commisions, scheduled for a 2022 exhibition in Diasporas Festival.