Lionel Cruet at The 2018 Socrates Annual , New York

Lionel Cruet, Reverb Space, Interactive Installation, 8 x 8 x 8 feet

Photography by Scott Lynch

New York, NY, –The Socrates Annual runs through March 24, 2019. Participating artists, whose diverse range of media include resin, rubber, wood, sound, metal, and textile, were selected by Socrates Director of Exhibitions, Jess Wilcox, and the Park’s 2018 Curatorial Advisors: Connie Choi, Associate Curator, Studio Museum in Harlem, and Alex Fialho, Programs Director, Visual AIDS.

The 2018 Socrates Annual artists are Leilah Babirye, Sherwin Banfield, Amy Brener, Lionel Cruet, Nathaniel Cummings-Lambert, Ronen Gamil, Jesse Harrod, Carlos Jiménez Cahua, Leander Mienardus Knust, Antone Konst, Joiri Minaya, Nicholas Missel, Virginia Lee Montgomery, Nancy Nowacek, Audrey Snyder & Joe Riley.

Building on a decades-long legacy of nurturing artists at early stages of their careers and seeking to expand their sculptural practices, The Socrates Annual is the culminating exhibition of 15 artist fellowships that include summer-long outdoor studio space and stipends. The program is distinct in its mission to foster individual artist projects rather than present an overarching theme. 

Lionel Cruet, Reverb Space, Interactive Installation, 8 x 8 x 8 feet

Photography by Scott Lynch

The 2018 participating artists join the ranks of over 280 artists who have received fellowships since the Park’s inaugural artist grant in 1995. Past fellows include Sable Elyse Smith (2016), David Brooks (2010), Heather Hart (2006), and Peter Coffin (2002).

“The strength of these artists’ work was evident from the onset, and their creative practices have evolved throughout the summer months,” says curator and Director of Exhibitions, Jess Wilcox. “Whether inspired by Queens hip-hop or Incan masonry and architecture, Socrates is honored to offer each artist fellow this platform to bring their vision to life.” Artist projects featured in the 2018 Socrates Annual are: Carved with a chainsaw from a giant pine log, Leilah Babirye’s Tuli Mukwano is a dual portrait of two figures existing outside the confines of gender binaries. The title, “We are in Love” in Swahili, stands as a call for the public recognition of LGBTQI people persecuted throughout the world, from Babirye’s native Uganda to local communities within the United States. 

Lionel Cruet, Reverb Space, Interactive Installation, 8 x 8 x 8 feet

Photography by Scott Lynch

Lionel Cruet’s Reverb/Ensemble Space is a multi-sensory installation within a porous cube that visitors are invited to enter. Each wall of the cube produces sound, taking cues from musical instruments—tambourines, strings, pipes, guiros—while the sand covered floor provides texture and the translucent tarp ceiling colors the light within.

Lionel Cruet (b. San Juan, PR in 1989; lives and works in New York, NY and San Juan, PR) received his BFA from Escuela de Artes Plásticas in 2011 and MFA from The City College of New York in 2014. His interest in geopolitics, economy, and technology is demonstrated through his works through experimental digital printing process, audiovisual materials, performance, and installation.

Cruet had a solo exhibition at the Bronx River Art Center, Bronx, NY (2015). In addition, he participated in multiple group exhibitions that include, Seen and Heard, Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY (2017), Colonial Comfort, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR (2015), and SuperReal: Alternative Realities in Photography and Video, El Museo del Barrio, New York, NY (2013).