Genesis 8 Collection
Featured Artists:
CURATORIAL STATEMENT
In the Chinese language, the pronunciation of the number 8, “ba,” is very similar to that of the word prosper, “fa,” making the number 8 the most auspicious of all the numbers. For the Genesis 8 series, we asked our 8 artists to express what Gold Dust is for them through the filter of their artistic vision, style, and techniques. For some, it evokes nostalgia and remembrance. For others, it’s the primal spark of creation and nature. For us, Gold Dust is something very special. Every object, and by extension every person, possesses inherent worth as well as the innate potential to metamorphose into something far greater than its present state. “Some years ago at an auction of Old World artifacts, I witnessed the sale of empty canvas sacks selling solely by weight. It baffled me that anyone would pay substantial sums for empty bags hundreds of years old and I inquired further. I then discovered these nondescript canvas sacks had once been used to transport immense quantities of gold. While the sacks were now empty significant quantities of gold dust still remained, filling the crevices and folds in the cloth. By practical alchemy, this precious residue had transformed otherwise mundane objects into coveted pieces of considerable worth,” Mint Gold Dust Founder, Kelly LeValley Hunt. Mint Gold Dust is a place, somewhere in the universe, where all creators find a home and a chance to perpetuate their legacy. Everyone has their Gold Dust, everyone carries an aura of magic, and you are part of that yourself. “The works that our Genesis 8 artists created are very special because they speak about the most intimate values of each artist as humans,” said Eleonora Brizi, Mint Gold Dust Curator. “Each artist was inspired by the essence of creativity and wonder, resulting in deeply intimate and unique pieces. Throughout the process, it was important for us to establish deep and meaningful relationships with each artist, a crucial part of Mint Gold Dust’s mission.”
Metamorphosis
“In a moment of growth, I watched you sit and birth the most beautiful of spirits, It was you and your hope. In a moment of hurt, you were so still and alone, I watched your spirit try, again and again, your hurt was stretching glass, these beings were you, they were tears and they were your fear, they comforted you then quickly flee, their time seemed short and would illuminate around you, I think I was in awe. But your spirit is a loop, It reaches out from a garden into the wood where it burns out into ash and wind. At the center of this herd is you, so full of love and care, so much more distant than I remember. This loop is a cocoon that I look out at you from. the center of this garden wakes me before anything emerges again.”
PRIMORDIAL
““We have a jar we keep of all the remains of the art materials we have used to create Hackatao's pieces. Pencil nubs, graphite, all are saved in a big jar. To us, this is our Gold Dust, the remnants and physical manifestation of the intangible experience of creation”. Before being guided by the hand of the artist and being shaped by the thought process, before being imprisoned in the wood of the pencil, graphite exists in its nebulous dimension. In this work, graphite doesn’t follow the lines, it escapes the artistic gesture and it’s floating free through rebellious tectonic movements.”
Space in Touch
“Moment of connection where intricacies ignite a gravitational pull towards center. 9940x6461px giselflorez.com”
The Butterfly Lovers
“Artist: Lily Honglei Medium: Oil paintings on paper, digital animation, soundtrack Duration: 3’29” Uniquely composed with a series of original oil paintings, “The Butterfly Lovers” is an iconic artwork created by Lily Honglei, an award-winning Asian American artist collaborative based in Flushing Chinatown, New York. Reinterpreting a popular East Asian folktale, the animated short film depicts dreamlike dislocation, profound loneliness and isolation but also dignity and cultural identity of Asian American immigrants. As part of this marginal group, we have witnessed many tragic life and death stories of our friends who pursue American dreams. They have been struggling to be accepted and adapt to the new society tainted with prejudices against immigrants and minorities. The Butterfly Lovers symbolically reflects these spiritual struggles, cultural identity dilemmas, and resiliency in the Asian American community. ”
Ritual Nature (Mount Mitchell)
“Venturing into nature, I find my own nature. In the stillness of these sculptural portraits, there exists a part of me and a part of the forests, inextricably intertwined as Observer and Observed. The act of image-making is a personal, performative act: a ritual giving and taking of light. In this negotiation, I dance round a shrouded sun, evading the LIDAR’s sweeping gaze. How does it see the world? And where’s my place within it? From the Catskills to the Blue Ridge, I engage in a conversation with this piece of technology, out of the context in which we normally belong. We are Outsiders, imperfect seers, seeking refuge in softly textured dens under the canopy, blanketed in gems of lights, home in the solitude.”
Transformation at the Gates of Eternity
“The artwork expresses a duality between denotative and connotative messages to create a sense of tension.”
Anatomie d'Une Poussière d'Or
“(Anatomy of a Gold Dust) Genesis Artwork for Mint Gold Dust x Lapin Mignon Anatomie d'Une Poussière d'Or is my very own interpretation of Gold Dust. It shines, it explodes with dreams and hopes, it sparkles with joy, while being delicate and ethereal. Medium: WaterColour, Golden Ink, Ink and Some Digital Wonders”
Mysterious Value
“Memories call out from the grave of history Thousands of coins now worthless Memories of secrets and allies now gone Grind them down, Melt them Take their memories and retrain them With love Find their worth and mint them again The dust of memory past is made into new mystery Bård Ionson has trained thousands of hand selected challenge coins to train a StyleGAN model into a latent space video and molded a new reality.”
