Third Room is pleased to present a solo exhibition of works by Häsler Gomez (Stead, NV). Häsler first came to our attention through his striking poem, IN THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEY, which deals with notions of home and the body, the temporalities of queerness and immigration, and sites of belonging. We are looking forward to seeing Häsler’s two and three dimensional work engaged within this framework in his inaugural solo exhibition, IF MY VOICE COULD SPEAK, opening this October at Third Room.
We will offer a socially distanced opening on Friday, October 9th from 6-8pm (by appointment only, max 6 in the space at one time and masks are required). The show will be up until October 31 and available for private viewing by appointment. Email Todd @tmolinari3277@gmail.com for an appointment.
STATEMENT
“Perhaps the butterflies are mute because no one would believe their terrible stories.”
─Marcelo Hernandez Castillo
The objects, drawings, photographs, performances, and poems that make up my installations give physicality and space to memorialize the experiences of marginalized individuals, as well as reference the home, the construction site, and sacred spaces. My work is steeped in the poetics of oppression: from a reductive visual language to a limited use of materials to esoteric references; my aim is to create a power dynamic where the work and the viewer are simultaneously the oppressor and the oppressed. While the works vacillate between being immediate/mundane and being silent/inaccessible, the viewer holds the power to create meaning and assign significance. In doing this, I present narratives that assert resilience and resistance, rather than aggression and defeat.
I dedicate this exhibition to Nisha, Alba, Chomo, Lola, Roberto, y Estela.
-Häsler Gomez
Häsler R. Gómez (h.r.g.) was born in Guatemala City, Guatemala, but has lived in Reno, Nevada since the age of four. Growing up around the construction sites his father, family members, and eventually himself worked on, Gómez developed an affinity and respect for the materials they used, not only for their aesthetic sensibilities, but also for their ability to carry the stories of those who used them on a daily basis. His installations, which are made up of objects, drawings, photographs, performances, and poems often reference the construction site, the home, and sacred spaces. As a queer undocumented immigrant, his work predominantly deals with issues of personal, political, and social desire, and probe the complexities and connections between language, history, immigration, gender, and oppression.
Gómez holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art with an emphasis in Sculpture and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Nevada, Reno. He is the founder and creative director of AVE COLLECTIVE, an artist collective aimed at addressing representation within and outside the gallery context/system. Gómez currently works out of Stead, NV.
CURATORIAL
Todd Molinari, Wade Schuster
Third Room was started as a DIY project space by Kalaija Mallery in 2017. Since then, it has become a collaboratively run, accessible go-to for showing experimental and emerging projects by young artists both in the Portland arts scene and nationwide. Third Room aims to support artists in earnest endeavors, to do the most with the least, through an ethic of solidarity and appreciation. For more info or to see exhibits of past shows, check out thirdroom.net.
Third Room currently has stairs, but no working elevator. We acknowledge that this makes it a physically inaccessible space that prevents some people from attending. There is a plan to produce an exhibition book of the group installation to offer alternative ways to experience the artwork. Our hope is for the space to have future accessibility. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
