TBD: An Exhibition by Z’otz* Collective

September 13 – October 26, 2024

Using collaborative drawings, sculptures and an in-situ ephemeral wall drawing created over five days on a gallery wall, Z’otz* Collective explores the idea of the niche.

“The original meaning of the French word ‘nicher’ is ‘to make a nest’. We are intrigued by the niche as a space to incubate, collect, investigate, and share stories. The Roman Catholic nicho, made of a wood or tin box, housed religious objects and served as small shrines to connect believers to their spirituality. Prehispanic civilizations used niches as architectural elements in their temples.

We will make contemporary niches from white painted cardboard boxes of various sizes and shapes, and staple them to the wall. They will house found objects, small sculptures and natural elements we find on site such as bark, pinecones, and branches. The niches will be strategically placed within mural. In some cases, the marks drawn on the wall will continue over the sides of the niches, to integrate them with the central images.

The edges of each niche serve as boundaries to divide one story from another. At the same time, they work together within the larger installation to become a broader story. They form a community that interconnects, but also leave space for the viewer to invent his or her stories within. In this way, the viewer is part of the collaborative process.”

Times and Locations