Art in Focus
Nicaraguan-American artist Joel Gaitan is the first artist of 2023 to be featured in the acclaimed Art in Focus public art program, a multidisciplinary, site-specific program that brings contemporary art to Rockefeller Center. Visitors can enjoy Gaitan's murals which feature his signature use of bold and vibrant colors inside 10 Rockefeller Plaza, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, 50 Rockefeller Plaza, and the street and concourse levels of 45 Rockefeller Plaza.
Gaitan's practice is a profoundly personal exploration of his family ancestry and identity as a first-generation Nicaraguan living in Miami, Florida. This cross-cultural study has brought Gaitan to challenge historical hierarchies within his art practices, liberating terracotta vessels to their exalted position within the sacred traditions from Nicaragua & Central America.
In the lobby of 45 Rockefeller Plaza, layered installations in the vitrine spaces will feature photography, Central American aesthetics, and Gaitan's terracotta vessels as a celebration of earthly pigments. The windows will include imagery of Nicaragua faces, including some of Gaitan's family members. The spaces will underscore Gaitan's spiritual beliefs and connection to the core elements: water, air, wind, and fire, which play vital roles in our life cycle and the laborious process of hand-sculpting and firing terracotta.
Current Installation:
JOEL GAITAN
January 17th - April 23rd
