Peruvian born New Orleans traveling artist Blas Isasi advocates for human rights through sculpture art. He makes statements on society inspired by Andean tradition and history to uncloak the impact of colonialism on the world.
He captures the distinction between nature and culture with his art and brings history to the present and future. Like Peru, New Orleans serves as a prelude for the rest of the country’s global climate change, residual impacts of colonialism, societal paradigms, and divided political regimes, according to Isasi.
“Regardless of where you are on the political spectrum, I feel like nobody is happy with the present, nobody is content, nobody is satisfied,” he said. “And that is why we need to break away from this feeling of powerlessness, impotence, and not having agency over anything. That is how I see our future.”
Isasi said political parties are at a constant disconnect. Everyone is unhappy, and this is the point of the Peruvian contemporary creator’s art.
Isasi’s piece was a part of the triennial art exhibit, Prospect 6 in New Orleans. He said Prospect 6 is an opportunity to have conversations that are relevant to the cultural, social, and historical movement. This year’s theme poses questions of the future in terms of climate, politics, and intersectionality. Isasi’s art installation was held at the Ford Assembly Line building in Gentilly.
“We are trapped in the present. We are unable to address the future,” Isasi said. “We need to be able to imagine what’s ahead and a different future beyond capitalism and this moment in history. We need to act together.”
Isasi creates his sculptures out of wood, steel, powder coat, modeling clay, hair extensions, polystyrene foam, and unfired clay. The Ford Assembly Line location of his installation had a conversation with his art, which he said was magical.
“It’s almost like getting to play with my toys for the first time in a playground and that to me is one of the most magical moments,” Isasi said.
His piece, 1,001,532 CE, highlights the Spanish conquest of the Inca empire in 1500, which Isasi said served as a pillar of contemporary world affairs. The piece reimagines the Battle of Cajamarca as an ongoing archeological site, re-staging the battle one million years in the future, according to the Prospect 6 website.
Isasi’s art piece comments on the moments in history which have shaped the state of politics, societal paradigms, and the future “beyond capitalism,” he said. By spotlighting specific episodes in history he makes the statement that those moments’ effects will continue to impact us for millions of years.
“Postcolonial history, especially in the global South, are almost like ground zero moments of modernity, capitalism, and imperialism, and New Orleans is also part of this,” he said.
He referred to the present resembling the 1993 comedy Groundhog’s Day about being trapped in a time loop of unfulfilling routines. He said society is too focused on the present and not imagining the future, when in reality the present is the future, hence; the future is now.
“I have hope in spite of how grim things feel these days,” he said.
Isasi’s interpretation of “The Future is Now” theme aimed to critique the ways in which New Orleans resembles the rest of the world’s systematic issues concerning climate change, migration, and colonialism, something that both Peru’s history and New Orleans share.
“I’m just trying to bring a different perspective from a different part of the world, but that is very much connected to this part of the world too,” he said.
His new project in process uses the same visual language, inspired by the Peruvian desert as being “human.” He said it is a continuation of his Prospect 6 piece commenting on the key aspects of contemporary culture and society. His sculpture takes practices and traditions in Andean cosmology and incorporates new materials like animal bones, hair extensions, nails, and other human detritus.
“I’m trying to collapse the human history and deep time, basically implying that they are the same,” he said. “They belong to the same system, human actions. And will have an impact, not only in the present, not only for generations to come, but for millions of years.”
Isasi work was recently exhibited in Atlanta, Georgia at the end of February. Multiple of his pieces are traveling to a group show in Kansas City and the Charlotte Street Foundation. He is currently preparing for his first solo exhibition in the U.S. at the Saint Louis Museum of Art. He believes his work will continue to grow and survive.
“It seems that they’re gonna live on forever,” he said.
