Derek Reese, a West Virginia University School of Art & Design alumnus and Morgantown native, is representing the United States in international contemporary art exposition Art Bienal in Antofagasta, Chile through Nov. 30.
As part of the international contemporary art exposition, his video-based exhibition titled “Masculine Artifacts” will be exhibited at the Esquina Retornable, a cinema house located in the Playa Blanca neighborhood of Antofagasta.
Reese was asked to participate in the Bienal after the organizers became familiar with his body of artwork created in response to the past and current socioeconomic, cultural, and political conditions in Appalachia.
Reese’s father was a West Virginia coal miner, and his grandfather was killed working in the mines. The artist’s work reflects his deeply vested interest in the role that extractive industries such as coal mining have played historically in Appalachia and how they previously and currently impact the lives of those living in West Virginia and the surrounding region.
According to the organizers of the exposition in Chile, Reese’s perspective provides an interesting contrast and comparison to the conditions in the Antofagasta region. Chile is currently the world’s largest producer of copper, and Antofagasta is a major mining hub. Reese was initially invited to spend time in Antofagasta during the Spring of 2020 for research for the project, but plans were changed due to the ongoing travel restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Although it is very disappointing to not be in Chile for the Bienal, I’ve had the opportunity to explore my own back yard in a way that was not possible before without this support,” says Reese. “I’ve been exploring the ruins of the long abandoned mine where my grandfather was killed. I visited the mine that my dad worked in Blacksville, WV, which is set to shut down in September. And I’ve had the opportunity to explore some recently abandoned and un-reclaimed strip mine sites in the Morgantown area. In fact, one of the videos I am creating for the Bienal will be filmed there, with the strip mine as the backdrop. It is all very surreal and bitter sweet, but work that I have been waiting a long time for. I wish my dad could have been here to see it.”
Associated Artists of Pittsburgh is Reese’s fiscal sponsor for the project and providing administrative and marketing support. This project is being supported by The Heinz Endowments who are devoted to the mission of helping our region prosper as a vibrant center of creativity, learning, and social, economic and environmental sustainability. To learn more, visit https://www.aapgh.org/derek-reese.