INTERLACED | Christian Garcia-Olivo

The exhibition runs from September 12th - January 10th

OPEN RECEPTION: September 14th at 12:00 - 4:00

Location: Gallery 201, ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station, 2820 Roosevelt Rd #204, San Diego, CA 92106

Gallery Hours: 8 am - 8 pm, Monday through Sunday

**New Gallery 201 Exhibition in ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station Navigates the Interplay of Culture, Identity and Existence**
*-Gallery 201 at ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station debuts “Interlaced,” a thought-provoking solo show by Christian Garcia-Olivo that delves into the evolving nature of identity and culture-*
**SAN DIEGO, CA** **(AUGUST 24, 2024)** – ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station, in collaboration with Dinah Poellnitz and The Hill Street Country Club, is thrilled to present a brand-new exhibition opening in Gallery 201 titled *Interlaced*, a solo showcase by San Diego-based artist Christian Garcia-Olivo. On display from September 12, 2024, to January 10, 2025, this exhibition delves into the intricate interplay between identity, culture, and the fluidity of existence. Audiences are invited to immerse themselves in a realm where the boundaries between self and society blur, unveiling the complexities of navigating spaces of uncertainty.
"Thanks to The Hill Street Country Club, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase my work in a beautiful gallery space at ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station,” said Christian Garcia-Olivo. “Through ‘Interlaced,’ I seek to unravel the threads of identity and culture, inviting viewers to embrace the fluidity and complexity of our existence. In a world where boundaries blur and identities intertwine, I hope my work inspires a deeper understanding of how we navigate and transform the spaces we inhabit."
Christian Garcia-Olivo’s work is a reflection of his journey as a queer Chicano artist, delving into tools of cultural heritage, resistance to societal norms, and the tension between personal and communal identities. His signature use of sculptural paint skins, reminiscent of smooth candy paint and woven Mexican textiles, creates a vivid tapestry that challenges conventional perceptions of art, identity, and belonging.
Curated by Dinah Poellnitz, the inaugural David G. Fleet Curator-in-Residence at ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station, *Interlaced* challenges the notion of fixed identity and whose values are inherited and perpetuated. The exhibit reflects the complexities of cultural hybridity, and the strength found in vulnerability, offering a critique of both personal and societal structures.
Through this exhibition, Christian's work engages with the journey of identity, envisioning a future where fragmented identities are not only acknowledged but embraced, celebrated, and ultimately transformed. Christian invites viewers to consider the possibilities that emerge when individuals allow themselves to exist in a state of flux, where ambiguity becomes a source of discovery, creativity, and survival.
“Christian’s new exhibition beautifully embodies the spirit of exploration and transformation that defines ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station,” said Lisa Johnson, President and CEO of ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station. “We are thrilled to support this powerful exhibition and offer the community a space to reflect on and engage with these vital themes of identity and cultural fluidity. It is through exhibitions like ‘Interlaced’ that we continue to celebrate and amplify diverse voices and experiences within the arts.” The new exhibit offers the opportunity to experience the power of art as a medium for exploring the nuances of identity, culture, and the spaces individuals inhabit—physically, emotionally, and socially. The exhibition will feature a virtual artist talk designed to deepen the engagement with Garcia-Olivo's work and foster conversations that resonate beyond the gallery walls.
ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station and Hill Street Country Club invites the community to join them in celebrating the opening of *Interlaced* from 12 pm to 4 pm on Saturday, September 14 in Gallery 201. The exhibition will be on display in Gallery 201 (2820 Roosevelt Rd #204, San Diego, CA 92106) from 8 am to 8 pm each day through January 10, 2025. The public is invited to stop by Gallery 201 for the opening reception and to view the exhibit during open hours.
**About ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station**
ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station is a premier destination in San Diego dedicated to enriching the city’svibrant arts and cultural scene through the revitalization of 26 historic buildings in the former Naval Training Center. Spanning 100 park-like acres in Liberty Station, ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station is home to over 100 museums, galleries, artist studios, dance companies, fine dining establishments, creative retail spaces and other organizations. Visitors experience the arts, culture, creativity, and cuisine that are the hallmarks of the San Diego region and enjoy innovative experiences in a historic setting at ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station that inspires lives for generations to come. www.artsdistrictlibertystation.com /www.ntcfoundation.org
**About the Artist**
Christian Garcia-Olivo (b. 1988, Santa Barbara, CA) is a San Diego-based artist known for his innovative exploration of acrylic paint as a sculptural medium. In December 2020, he debuted his first solo show, *Untitled 2020*, at Bread & Salt in San Diego, setting the stage for a dynamic artistic journey. Christian’s work is featured in the San Diego Civic Art Collection and the Mesa College Library, and he has exhibited his art internationally in Italy and Spain, as well as across Southern California at the San Diego Art Institute, San Diego Central Library Art Gallery, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Santa Barbara and at Permanent Storage Projects in Los Angeles. Christian has received recognition for his contributions to the art world, including an Honorable Mention at the Athenaeum’s 28th Annual Juried Exhibition.

INTERLACED features recent works exploring the sculptural potential of acrylic paint and varying optical effects reminiscent of glossy hard candy and woven Mexican textiles. Interlaced invites audiences to immerse themselves in a world where the boundaries of self and society blur, revealing the complexities of navigating spaces of uncertainty.

Garcia-Olivo’s process involves drying and curing strips or sections of paint mixed with varying mediums. He then molds, pinching, threading, pushing and pulling the resulting drips, loops, and skins to create sculptural overlays which are attached to wood panels and in some cases, liberated from the solid platform entirely to float in empty space. The overlays can obscure the majority of the painted panel supporting them or be perforated to let other materials burst out, but often sit atop as a screen, or filter. Combining these motifs, the newness of plastic paints and some of the world’s oldest textile technology, speaks to the complexity of life for people whose lineages have been impacted by the violence of colonialism. By allowing layers of contrasting hard edged geometry and bowing sculptural elements to respond to each other without creating a hierarchy, Garcia-Olivo encourages viewers to embrace complication and tension.

As an artist on the margins of the colonial imagination by virtue of his Queerness and Indigenous Mexican heritage, Garcia-Olivo’’s work closes the loop between European modernists and the communities in the Americas that deeply influenced their work. By resetting this linear narrative of individual supremacy into a flowing current of mutual exchange and influence, Garcia-Olivo honors the reach of the artistic, practical, and economic contributions by people of the global majority. In an era of increasing alienation from the labor that makes our lives possible, Garcia-Olivo’s work urges us to remember that even as machines and software mitigate more and more of daily life, human hands and minds have always been innovators and sites of connection. Holding that truth, we can more actively examine and participate in the weaving of our future and consider the possibilities that emerge when we allow ourselves to exist in a state of flux, where ambiguity becomes a source of discovery, creativity, and survival.

Curated by Dinah Poellnitz, the inaugural David G. Fleet Curator-in-Residence at ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station

Akiko Surai, Associate Curator and Editor

Astrid Gonzales, Audio/Visual Editor

This exhibition is supported by Arts District Liberty Station and The Hill Street Country Club