2017
Stand Tall is a series of wire sculptures accompanied by a live performance, exploring the structures behind museological displays of African masks. Commissioned by the University of Buffalo Art Galleries, Stand Tall responds directly to the Cravens World Collection, with sculptures and ballet dancers mimicking the armatures which support the masks on display, and wearing fabricated, plastic replicas of the masks themselves. By reasserting and performing the presence of the body within the display of African art objects, Fernandes probes the collection for traces of the object's original performers, calling into question the provenance and authenticity of the collection, its histories and its authority on the objects collected.
Images courtesy of the University of Buffalo Art Galleries.
Photographer, Studio Avli
Performances by University at Buffalo Dancers Students, Ginger Page, Savannah Sigmon, Maggie Hansen, Taylor Heaphy, Mary Pappagallo and Laura Nasca.