Curator's Notes
Welcome to Suture Zone. Zozobra is a Spanish word for distress. The term has been used to describe the feelings of uncertainty and distress in the United States due to the confluence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the political events of the Trump presidency and 2020 U.S. presidential election (and now include Trump's re-election in 2024).
These feelings and reactions persist today across the world, where the level of anxiety is growing, as western leaders are increasingly undermining democracy and the rule of law with a global shift toward totalitarianism and dictatorships. The prospect of another world war is palpable.
This call was for artists to step up and fulfill their duty as harbingers of truth and guardians of cultural history.
Suture Zone is looking for ‟art as a weapon" responding to the current cultural and social climate around them.
There were no content or style restrictions.
I'll use this opportunity to focus your attention on the art represented in this exhibition. Each of these 27 artists, regardless of style or content, political beliefs or location in the world, have responded to the call for artists to step up and contribute to the historical, visual record reflecting the social and political pressures of the world in 2025 and beyond.
I hope you will take your time to absorb the artwork below. Immerse yourself in their narratives, subject matter, the aesthetic of their expression and your experience of it. We have presented the exhibition without any accompanying text in order for the viewer to focus on the visual experience and the works in context with each other. Here you will discover a range of mediums from painting to video, sculpture, photography and digital. Each artist's personal process utilizes their medium to reinforce their message based on their context of experience. In essence, all these artists are part of a movement–the non-conformist, art spirit that has always existed.
I've also included a couple of audio tracks for another layer of content. These tracks provide two references: the film,
Network is a satire commenting on the media and the moral corruption of people for ratings and money; the other is a song of warning by Scottish singer/songwriter
Dick Gaughan–allow the weeds to grow in your garden and the next thing you know, fascism is back.
Jingo Strange. Dec. 2025
