Karlo Andrei Ibarra, Continental, 2010

Karlo Ibarra (born in 1982) is a Puerto Rican artist who prioritizes the use of diverse media such as painting, drawing, installation, and, here, neon. He earned his B.F.A. from the Escuela de Artes Plásticas in San Juan in 2005. He has participated in the Biennial of Bucharest, the San Juan Poly-Graphic Triennial of San Juan, and in the Moscow International Biennial of Young Art. He is also a part of institutional collections in Costa Rica, the United States, Puerto Rico, and Argentina.
Like much of his work, Continental brings contemporary political and social issues to the forefront, specifically within the realm of migration, identity, and globalization. This work demands the viewer to consider the colloquial definition of ‘America’ and how such a definition excludes all but those residing in the United States. South America, Central America, and even U.S. territories like Puerto Rico are denied the American identity. Ibarra encourages the viewer to empathize with this issue directly, delivering his message in a simple, illuminated declarative statement: Vivo en America.
For the purposes of CAPP, Ibarra’s work will expand upon the current scope of media in the collection. Neon is truly a contemporary medium, which is fitting for a work addressing a contemporary issue. The clearly communicated messages regarding geopolitical identity struggles and displacement mirrors the environmental displacement CAPP is addressing with other proposed works this cycle. Instead of mourning this displacement, Ibarra chooses to proudly claim his national identity through his artwork, something that is sure to resonate with many minority communities in the student union.
With the confrontational directness of CAPP’s Kameelah Janan Rasheed works, Continental takes on a similar mission to Annu Palakunnathu An Indian from India, also in CAPP’s collection. Both work to combat colloquialisms that impact the identities of ethnic groups, Palakunnathu addressing the Native American-Indian colloquialism while Ibarra focuses on how Americans define “America” and who those definitions exclude.

Stamp Gallery, 2019