{"id":13936,"date":"2023-05-14T15:44:01","date_gmt":"2023-05-14T19:44:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/?p=13936"},"modified":"2023-05-14T15:44:01","modified_gmt":"2023-05-14T19:44:01","slug":"the-mystical-the-esoteric-the-magical-at-kolaj-fest-new-orleans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/kolaj-fest-new-orleans\/the-mystical-the-esoteric-the-magical-at-kolaj-fest-new-orleans\/","title":{"rendered":"The Mystical, The Esoteric, & The Magical\u00a0at Kolaj Fest New Orleans"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Flower Dream I: The Wayfinder<\/em> by Josiah Gagosian
10″x10″; acrylic, ink, yupo, collage on cradled panel; 2021. Courtesy of the artist.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

SYMPOSIUM AT KOLAJ FEST NEW ORLEANS 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Mystical, The Esoteric, & The Magical\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

with Josiah Gagosian, LaVonna Varnado Brown, and Ric Kasini Kadour<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

LEARN MORE<\/a> | REGISTER FOR KOLAJ FEST NEW ORLEANS<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kolaj Fest New Orleans is a multi-day festival and symposium about contemporary collage and its role in art, culture, and society, 7-11 June 2023. Visit the website<\/a> to learn more, see an overview of the program, and register to attend.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Art, like magic, is the science of engineering shapes, symbols, texture, and emotion to achieve a change in consciousness,” writes Louisiana collagist LaVonna Varnado Brown. On this panel, artists will speak about how their work is in dialogue with the mystical, the esoteric, and the magical<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inspired from an early age by the imagery and mythology of the Nahuas, whose pictographic writing system culminated in a conceptualization of painting that was synonymous with poetry, Josiah Gagosian<\/strong>\u2019s current artistic practice has become rooted in the worlds of the literary and the linguistic. Deriving metaphorical motifs from a variety of disparate cultural and religious traditions, his work is a tool for self-examination and psycho-spiritual development. His current trajectory was born out of a yearning to reconcile the complex fragments of his own unusual life and family history, placing them within a more universal historic and mythic context. He views this task as a mystical one, a divine, even futile, attempt to make work that serves as a vehicle to the other shore of human consciousness. He writes, “My work is often not readily identifiable as collage-related, but collage remains an intrinsic part of how I construct and develop a composition and it lends the work a specific visual aesthetic and style I don\u2019t believe it would possess otherwise.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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AfroFuture is NOW<\/em> by LaVonna Varnado Brown
12″x12″; digital collage; 2020. Courtesy of the artist.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

LaVonna Varnado Brown <\/strong>“is currently focused on developing her visual body of work which is Afro Astro futuristic in aesthetic with odes to history and floral daydreams abounding to inspire joy, hope, resistance, and rest in mixed media collage, water color, and acrylic.” She writes, “Afro Futurism\u2019s alchemizing power is in its ability to collapse time and space to make room to explore the width, depth, and breath of the sea of abundance at rest between Earth and sky. Whose work is paid? Whose work is visible? Whose work is valid? Dignified? Acknowledged? Is care work invisibilized because it is feminized? Is your perception of all these things a result of being socialized in a cis-hetero-patriarchal society that centers whiteness?” She will speak about how she “employs symbols like circles, celestial bodies, and crystals to incite divine feminine vibrational energy and inspire transformation.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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But Inside He Was a Fox Talking to a Duck<\/em> by Ric Kasini Kadour
7.75″x5.75″; collage on cardboard; 2022. Courtesy of the artist.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Brown and Gagosian will be joined by Ric Kasini Kadour <\/strong>who will speak about magic in New Orleans and how Kolaj institute’s Collage & Folklore Project is interpreting ideas about magic, fairies, and witches for a 21st century audience.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kolaj Fest New Orleans is a multi-day festival and symposium about contemporary collage and its role in art, culture, and society, 7-11 June 2023. Visit the\u00a0website<\/a>\u00a0to learn more, see an overview of the program, and register\u00a0to\u00a0attend.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SYMPOSIUM AT KOLAJ FEST NEW ORLEANS 2023 The Mystical, The Esoteric, & The Magical\u00a0 with Josiah Gagosian, LaVonna Varnado Brown, and Ric Kasini Kadour LEARN MORE | REGISTER FOR KOLAJ FEST NEW ORLEANS Kolaj Fest New Orleans is a multi-day festival and…<\/p>\n

Read more →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":13937,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"gallery","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/josiah-gagosian-flower-dream-i-the-wayfinder.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2QTD7-3CM","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":15236,"url":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/uncategorized\/take-me-to-the-water-at-kolaj-fest-new-orleans-2024\/","url_meta":{"origin":13936,"position":0},"title":"Take Me to the Water at Kolaj Fest New Orleans 2024","author":"Christopher Byrne","date":"7 May 2024","format":"gallery","excerpt":"Masculine Study by LaVonna Varnado-Brown12\"x12\"; digital media; 2023. Courtesy of the artist. WORKSHOP AT KOLAJ FEST NEW ORLEANS 2024 Take Me to the Water: A Baptism in Collage Friday, 14 June 2024, 3:15-4:30PMNew Orleans Healing CenterLaVonna Varnado-Brown EVENT WEBSITE\u00a0|\u00a0REGISTER Kolaj Fest New Orleans is a multi-day festival and symposium about\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Baptism.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Baptism.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Baptism.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Baptism.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15232,"url":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/kolaj-fest-new-orleans\/collage-kiki-new-orleans-edition\/","url_meta":{"origin":13936,"position":1},"title":"Collage & Kiki, New Orleans Edition at Kolaj Fest New Orleans 2024","author":"Christopher Byrne","date":"7 May 2024","format":"gallery","excerpt":"artwork by LaVonna Varnado Brown. 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MUSEUM TOUR AT KOLAJ FEST NEW ORLEANS 2024 \"Wangechi Mutu: Intertwined\" Tour Thursday, 13 June 2024, 11AM-NoonNew Orleans Museum of ArtJennella\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Kolaj Fest New Orleans"","block_context":{"text":"Kolaj Fest New Orleans","link":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/category\/kolaj-fest-new-orleans\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mutu_People-in-Glass-Towers-Should-Not-Imagine-Us.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mutu_People-in-Glass-Towers-Should-Not-Imagine-Us.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mutu_People-in-Glass-Towers-Should-Not-Imagine-Us.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mutu_People-in-Glass-Towers-Should-Not-Imagine-Us.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7068,"url":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/kolaj-fest-new-orleans\/the-seaside-fleet-comes-to-kolaj-fest-new-orleans\/","url_meta":{"origin":13936,"position":4},"title":"The Seaside Fleet Comes to Kolaj Fest New Orleans","author":"Christopher Byrne","date":"5 June 2018","format":"gallery","excerpt":"AT KOLAJ FEST NEW ORLEANS JRC's Festival Wide Installation Project From the grand steamboat Natchez on the Mississippi River to the sailboats on Lake Pontchartrain; from the shrimp boats dropping a catch at Eddie Pinto's Marina to the kayaks and paddle boats that cruise around Bayou St. John, boats are\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Kolaj Fest New Orleans"","block_context":{"text":"Kolaj Fest New Orleans","link":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/category\/kolaj-fest-new-orleans\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/all-boats-grid.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/all-boats-grid.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/all-boats-grid.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/all-boats-grid.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14265,"url":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/content\/calls-for-artists\/call-to-artists-collage-magic-artist-residency\/","url_meta":{"origin":13936,"position":5},"title":"Call to Artists: Collage Magic Artist Residency","author":"Christopher Byrne","date":"9 August 2023","format":"gallery","excerpt":"CALL TO ARTISTS Collage Magic Artist Residency: New Orleans A five-day, in-person collage artist residency in New Orleans First Session: Wednesday, 25 October to Sunday, 29 October 2023 Second Session: Wednesday, 6 December to Sunday, 10 December 2023Final Deadline to Apply: Sunday, 24 September 2023 Submissions will be reviewed on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Calls for Artists"","block_context":{"text":"Calls for Artists","link":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/category\/content\/calls-for-artists\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Collage-Magic-logo-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Collage-Magic-logo-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Collage-Magic-logo-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Collage-Magic-logo-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13936"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13936"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13936\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13937"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13936"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13936"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13936"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}