Ricardo Miranda Zúñiga

Structural Patterns

Reflections on Art, Technology and Society

Duke Riley at MagnanMetz Gallery

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Duke Riley's Pigeon Coop

Duke Riley’s Pigeon Coop was in use at the Florida Keys before gallery installation

Artist Duke Riley is a pigeon guy and for his recent project, he worked as a pigeon trainer in the Florida Keys. As the New York Times Article “Avian Artistry, With Smuggled Cigars” states “He started the training in Florida last year with 50 pigeons; 23 went on the first mission, this summer. Only 11 returned.” (The NY Times video is well worth watching.) The mission for the pigeons was a small political intervention… they served as documentarians or Cuban Cohiba cigar smugglers. Some of the pigeons carried small cameras that captured their travel between the Florida Keys and Cuba others travelled from Florida with empty harnesses to return with cigars.

Pigeon paintings by Duke Riley

Pigeon paintings by Duke Riley

The pigeon project’s artifacts are installed in the first gallery of MegnanMetz until 25 of January 2014, where you can see the pigeon coop with the pigeons still living in it, pigeon paintings, pigeon mosaics made from sea shells and videos that the pigeons made as well as other artifacts.

Pigeon paintings by Duke Riley

Pigeon paintings by Duke Riley

The second gallery presents documentation of a collaborative performance along the canals of Zhujiajiao in China that re-stages a legendary race of the Chinese zodiac. A projected wall video shows the race and along another wall are mounted animal masks that performers wore to represent the various creatures of the Chinese zodiac. On the wall opposite from the video is a large scale drawing capturing the legend of the Chinese zodiac.

Duke Riley's masks from the Chinese zodiac

Duke Riley’s masks from the Chinese zodiac

A large scale drawing reflecting the legend of the Chinese zodiac

Chinese zodiac by Duke Riley

A large scale drawing reflecting the legend of the Chinese zodiac

Chinese zodiac by Duke Riley

A large scale drawing reflecting the legend of the Chinese zodiac

Chinese zodiac by Duke Riley

Written by ricardo

January 14th, 2014 at 6:39 am