{"id":113371,"date":"2026-01-26T23:28:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T23:28:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/113371\/"},"modified":"2026-01-26T23:28:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T23:28:12","slug":"bronx-museum-opens-must-see-seventh-aim-biennial-show-bronx-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/113371\/","title":{"rendered":"Bronx Museum opens \u201cmust-see\u201d Seventh AIM Biennial show \u2013 Bronx Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Several hundred visitors turned out for the opening of the Bronx Museum\u2019s Seventh AIM Biennial on Jan. 23, which showcased 28 rising local artists and was named a must-see art show by Gothamist<\/a> and Observer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Those featured represented the two most recent cohorts from the Bronx Museum\u2019s AIM (formerly called Artist in the Marketplace) program<\/a>, a prestigious yearlong professional development fellowship for New York City-based artists.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Organized around the theme \u201cForms of Connection,\u201d the show featured a wide range of works, including painting, textile, tapestry, video, installation and sculpture, all by working artists not represented by galleries.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The lively opening celebration fully took over the museum space, with a DJ on the top floor and works shown throughout the two main levels.\u00a0
\n\"\"Visitors near the piece titled \u201cNights in April (River)\u201d by Motohiro Takeda, on view now through June in the Bronx Museum Seventh AIM Biennial. Photo by Emily Swanson\n<\/p>\n

Delvin Lugo<\/a> of the 2024 AIM fellowship cohort showed a piece in the center of the room that was impossible to miss.\u00a0\u201cCountry to City\/Town to City\u201d is a wooden table covered by a lace-edged vintage tablecloth, which Lugo painted with self-portraits and four of the places he has called home.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The paintings depict Lugo\u2019s family roots in the small mountain town of Monci\u00f3n, Dominican Republic; his previous Williamsburg apartment building nestled into McCarren Park; a family house in Rhode Island, where he spent the COVID pandemic years; and his current East Village apartment building. Self-portraits at each corner of the tablecloth depict Lugo at different ages, which he said reflect growth and progress over four decades of life.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Artist Delvin Lugo stands with his installation piece, \u201cCountry to City\/Town to City,\u201d at the Bronx Museum Seventh AIM Biennial show. Photo by Emily Swanson<\/p>\n

Lugo said the work fits within themes of chosen family and belonging in the queer community, as well as a love for natural spaces, which he paints in eye-catching colors. Leaves and grass are muted greens, but tree trunks are lavender and the backgrounds are bright Caribbean pink and green.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cNo matter where I move to, nature is usually really where I feel at home, so I wanted to have that as a connecting design throughout it,\u201d he said.\u00a0
\n\"\"Detail of Lugo\u2019s paintings on vintage tablecloth, which depict the Dominican Republic, New York City apartment buildings, and a family home in Rhode Island. Photo by Emily Swanson\n<\/p>\n

Lugo said he works frequently with home linens, such as pillowcases, table runners and tablecloths, but this was his first piece that did not hang on a wall. He credited the AIM fellowship for the idea. \u201cThis program inspired me to push myself and also, like, go beyond my comfortable level.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the same time, by painting onto \u201cnostalgic\u201d materials, Lugo said the heart of his work will be familiar to anyone.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter whether you\u2019re in the Dominican Republic, Asia or the United States,\u201d he said. \u201cAll these homes have doilies and all these woven and made materials.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The art of surveillance\u00a0<\/p>\n

Bryan Fern\u00e1ndez<\/a> showed a large work titled \u201cBeso \u00e0 la C\u00e1mara\u201d (\u201cKiss to the Camera\u201d), created in 2024, which he said offered a commentary on public surveillance in the United States and the Dominican Republic.<\/p>\n

\"\"Artist Bryan Fern\u00e1ndez created this piece, \u201cBeso a La C\u00e1mara\u201d (\u201cKiss to the Camera\u201d), as a commentary on public surveillance in NYC and the Dominican Republic.Photo by Emily Swanson
\n\"\"Probably unbeknownst to most, Bryan Fern\u00e1ndez\u2019s piece included four small surveillance cameras that livestreamed to a screen near the front desk. Photo by Emily Swanson<\/p>\n

The work hangs near the museum entrance and depicts an MTA bus traveling along a city street, with people standing on the side. Plugged into the work are four small cameras, which \u2014 probably unbeknownst to most \u2014 were live streaming to a small screen at the front desk.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fern\u00e1ndez said the work is meant to \u201cmimic what\u2019s going on out in the streets,\u201d where police and security surveillance permeate everyday life. \u201cI knew I wanted to make something really, deeply touching New York. Especially where I\u2019m from, Washington Heights,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBeso \u00e0 la Camera\u201d is also his largest piece to date, which allowed him to \u201clet go of the brush to depict the scenes that I make.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have to be restricted by a studio space, by even my own imagination. I can just be free to expand,\u201d Fern\u00e1ndez said.\u00a0
\n\"\"Artist Bryan Fern\u00e1ndez at the opening party for the Bronx Museum\u2019s Seventh AIM Biennial, Jan. 23, 2026.Photo by Emily Swanson\n<\/p>\n

In addition to being a working artist, Fern\u00e1ndez is also a first-year student in Yale University\u2019s MFA program, which he said has been \u201ctransformative\u201d for his practice. \u201cIt\u2019s making me really rethink the language I use to describe my practice, why I do the things I do.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fern\u00e1ndez said he is excited for the year ahead as he prepares for his debut NYC solo show and first institutional solo show, opening March 17 at International Studio & Curatorial Program (ISCP)<\/a> in Brooklyn.<\/p>\n

Overall, he said the past year has been marked by growth and a greater understanding of his consciousness, which feeds the work, imbued with intention and a deeply rooted sense of place. <\/p>\n

Whether consciously or unconsciously, \u201cThere\u2019s something coming out that is still connected to theory, to the Caribbean, to the Dominican Republic, to New York City, so on and so forth.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Seventh AIM Biennial is on view at the Bronx Museum through June 29, and admission is always free.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

Reach Emily Swanson at\u00a0eswanson@schnepsmedia.com<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0(646) 717-0015<\/a>. For more coverage, subscribe to our\u00a0newsletter<\/a>\u00a0and follow us on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>,\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>!<\/p>\n

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