Water Solubility of Memories Explored in The Indigo Room

Due to my daughter love of art I decided to take her to an art museum. There I discovered a love for art that I never had before. One of my favorite Duval installations is the The Indigo Room or Is Memory Water Soluble and its currently displayed at the NSU Art Museum in Fort Lauderdale. Edouard Duval-Carri is a Haitian born artiste and sculptor. Duval-Carri and family his fled to Puerto Rico while he was a child during the Francois Duvalier regime. The Francois Duvalier regime is said to be one of the vilest administrations in Haiti killing more than 30,000 people. The regimes of Francois Duvalier and his son Jean-Claude Duvalier who ruled Haiti lasted from September 22nd, 1957 to February 6th, 1986. Duvalier ruled the country of Haitia using violence and phony elections to stay in power. Too many people Duvalier was a tyrant and a criminal.

Edouard Deuval-Carri attended and studied at a school in Montreal, Canada in 1978. In 1988 to 1989 he also attended Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris; France. Duval- Carri currently lives and works in Miami Florida. All Duval-Carri works revolve around his constant interest in Haiti's history and culture. His culture and beliefs are boldly on display in exhibition. Duval-Carri is an Apollonian thinker and myself took a more apollonian appreciation to his art which I believe is represented in his displays. Apollonian and Dionysian are terms are used to define the two core philosophies in Greek culture. These words derive from the Greek deities Apollo and Dionysian. I have Apollonian appreciation for The Indigo Room exhibition because being from Caribbean I know the history of Haiti. For me the acrylic squares are not just random in the exhibition, Duval motives and political views in his exhibitions are on display which is in line with Apollonian thought.

This exhibition is a beautiful tribute and acknowledgement to Haiti being the first independent black republic. Edouard Duval-Carri is best known for his traditional visual images, which he addresses current social and political conditions. He used his work to show that Haiti is a very multifaceted Country. Duval-Carri's paintings and sculptures reflects the culture and history of Haiti with strong references to the Voodoo religion. The Indigo Room or Is Memory Water Soluble was created in 2004 and is considered mixed media art. Throughout the room there are plexiglass boxes with assorted objects. The Indigo Room is in a small room next to the museum's elevators. This mixed media work of art combines bold color and enchanted realism with references to traditional Haitian art, values, politics and Voodoo. Implanted in the acrylic cubes are regular objects such as seashells, stars, flowers and plants, as well as many of Duval-Carri own paintings. The bluish glowing, luminous cubs also hold personal objects from the local Haitian community. I really enjoyed this exhibit and it was surprisingly a fun and interesting experience. Edouard Duval-Carri depicts Haiti's history of brutality and violence along with the beauty of the country. Standing in the dimly lit room I can appreciate the stories being told and there are plenty of other things to discover. On square panel depicts a woman with a baby on her back and a chain around her neck and ankles. another panel you see mermaid with sea shells and hooks around her. The one and only sculpture in the is a figure who resembles medusa with it hands reaching out. This stood out to me because before just before the Haitian Revolution many slaves came together to partake in a secret voodoo ceremony where they planned to revolt against the French.

Due to my heritage and culture it wasn't difficult for me understand and appreciate the importance behind the many objects throughout the room. Some people who is uniformed or ignorant about the Haitian culture and history possibly will have Dionysian appreciation for this exhibition. This individual may see the many objects in the room as chaotic and without substance. Its important not to be offended but willing to educate this person. A person customs and traditions may be strange or bizarre to another person but when explained might not be so different from their own. For example, many people may see the religion of voodoo as witchcraft and wicked but its no different than Christianity. Voodoo is a way for the community to come together to make decisions and celebrate various occasions.