Betelhem Makonnen_________ቤተልሄም መኮንን                                                         















Freedom of Expression/

2024








Freedom of Expression
Cornell Council for the Arts
John Hartell Gallery, Cornell Architecture,
Art and Planning

Exhibition: 

March 4 - 29, 2024




During the 2023–24 academic year, Cornell University President Martha Pollack announced “Freedom of Expression” as the first in a series of annual themes designed to orient the university around a crucial component of academia. In the artistic realm, freedom of expression is a central pillar. Similarly, the arts are central to Cornell Council for the Arts and the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (Cornell AAP), providing the foundation for a natural collaboration in the form of an exhibition showcasing the importance of artistic free expression.

people the We is a collaborative installation by artists Adrian Aguilera and Betelhem Makonnen of works that cultivate their continuous curiosity about the relationship between symbols and collective identity, transnationality and diaspora perspectives, and history’s inextricable hold on the present. The collection of works – reimagined US flag, video installations, and a large wall vinyl – conflate the past with the future and the analog with the digital delving into foundational discussion of American citizenship.

Cornell Council for the Arts (CCA) is a university-wide cultural organization that provides a platform for the creation of and public discourse on the contemporary arts on Cornell University’s campus.


Featuring work by:
Adrian Aguilera & Betelhem Makonnen, Osiel Aldaba,
Leighton Beaman and Zaneta Hong, Imani Day, Victoria Lee, Chiedza Musiiwa & Mia Wang, Sopheak Sam, and Fabia St-Juste.



alien to alien communication (civil)

untitled (soy loco por ti américa)


Press
Cornell Chronicle



Photo credit: Anson Wigner / Cornell AAP






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