Model Home” will open on Sept. 26 at Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art; “untitled assemblage” from the “uninvited guests” series by alejandro t. acierto will be among the featured artworks (photo courtesy of SMoCA).
A new exhibit at Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA), “alejandro t. acierto: Model Home,” examines recent changes to the broader desert landscape, driven by increased development and population growth in the Phoenix metro area.
Through video, audio, photography, surface scans and found objects, artist alejandro t. acierto asks the viewer to define the value of land that is perceived as vacant or unoccupied. It also becomes a larger conversation about who’s being dispossessed, who’s being displaced, the histories and legacies of displacement and what is at stake in the desire to bring more people in.
Curated by Julie Ganas, curator of engagement and digital initiatives, and Oliver Sayers, SMoCA coordinator, “Model Home” is especially relevant, the museum says, after witnessing the effects of expansion, including water waste and harm to conservation efforts. The exhibition highlights how the land and the local flora and fauna have been impacted by new settlements, urban expansion and climate change.
“The ecological impact of urban expansion within the desert is having a deep impact on the landscape,” Sayers said. “Living in Phoenix, it’s impossible to ignore the region’s rapid growth. As development expands, it raises questions about the strain on the desert’s limited resources and how such transformation will reshape its ecosystem over time.”
“Model Home” opens on Sept. 26. In addition to the exhibition itself, SMoCA will host its Fall Opening Celebration from 7 to 9 p.m. on Oct. 10. Visit smoca.org for information.
