El Museo Bienal: The (S) Files

 El Museo's Bienal: The (S) Files 2011 was El Museo del Barrio's sixth biennial of the most innovative, cutting-edge art created by Latino, Caribbean, and Latin American artists currently working in the greater New York area. 2011's edition spread all over the city, showcasing a record 75 emerging artists in seven different venues. Among the themes developed in The (S) Files 2011 was the influence of early New York street art movements, text and urban styles, and the creation of art works from urban debris. The variety of issues addressed by the artists ranged from daily life situations, to social behaviors, to economic distress. Curated by Rocío Aranda-Alvarado, Trinidad Fombella, and Elvis Fuentes.

El Museo del Barrio’s sixth biennial featured the most innovative, cutting-edge art created by Latino, Caribbean, and Latin American artists currently working in the greater New York area. 2011's edition takes on a broad exploration of the visual energy, events, and aesthetics of the street. The exhibition spreadsall over the city, showcasing a record 75 emerging artists at seven venues.

The art performed dealt with the idea of the street as a square. Throughout the world, in small cities and large, the square is the place where things happen—Social encounters, political events, and economic exchanges are part of the everyday life. . . This group of artists illustrated these varied encounters—public and private, intense and tranquil, personal and universal—as they suggested that the social fabric of the city street is perhaps most intimately seen in a square setting, even one of the scale of Times Square.

The (S) Files 2011 at Times Square featured performances by artists Ryan Roa, Irvin Morazán, Rafael Sánchez / Kathleen White and nicoykatiushka (NyK). Roa installed his "Beach Truck Times Square" inviting interested participants to climb in the sand-filled back of a Ford F-150 truck and have their picture taken in a beach chair, accompanied by sounds of the ocean. Irvin Morazan drove a low-rider into the Broadway Plaza for "Performance in the Center of the World." Wearing his sculpture, Ghettoblaster Headdress, he presided over a celebratory dance by NYC Hip Hop dancers. Rafael Sánchez and Kathleen White popped-up their flat 10-foot tall monument in canvas called "Somewhat Portable Dolmen." Standing on a large block ice during the performance of "Melt", the artist collaborative, nicoykatiushka (NyK), kissed as the ice melted away.