Monday, September 24, 2007

Double Negative Collective

September 24, 2007

To Whom It May Concern:

We are writing in response to the outrageous dismissal of Astria Suparak from her position as director at The Warehouse Gallery.

As a collective of Montreal-based moving image artists, we have been excited and engaged by the work and passion Astria brought to our city and we were pleased for her when she moved to Syracuse to share her considerable talents south of the border. She and her partner Brett Kashmere are the unique type of individuals genuinely committed to the creation and dissemination of exciting work, especially that of emerging artists and underrepresented communities.

Jeff Hoone's solo decision and apparently unknowable reasons for firing Astria functions as a violent gesture that disempowers her as an employee and disadvantages the arts community who have invested trust in this administration and rely on the Warehouse Gallery for fresh energy and invigorating contemporary art.

Double Negative consider Astria an ally in the struggle against aesthetic homogeneity and decisions made in the name of "tastefulness", or in other circles, cultural servility. It is our recommendation to the administration of the CMAC that Astria Suparak be reinstated immediately and with a full apology, if she'll have them.

Sincerely,

Double Negative Collective
Montreal, Quebec
doublenegatif@gmail.com
doublenegativecollective.blogspot.com

Members:
Christopher Becks
Lucia Fuzzuoglio
Amber Goodwyn
Julien Idrac
Steven Ladouceur
Matt Law
Karl Lemieux
Lindsay McIntyre
Eduardo Menz
Chris Payne
Mike Rollo
Daichi Saito
Ithamar Silver
Malena Szlam

Posted by CNXY at 8:37 AM

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BACKGROUND

Syracuse has lost one its greatest assets. Astria Suparak, Inaugural Director of The Warehouse Gallery of Syracuse University, was removed from her position as of Sept. 30th, 2007, despite widespread support from community members, students, faculty, and the international art community. This decision was made unilaterally by Jeffrey Hoone, Executive Director of the Coalition of Museum and Art Centers (CMAC).

At the time of Suparak's dismissal, Hoone also canceled her forthcoming exhibitions, including "Keep It Slick: Infiltrating Capitalism with The Yes Men," due to open in November 2007.