Renzo Ortega: What I Left and What I Brought

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Courtesy of the artist.

Renzo Ortega

Renzo Ortega’s paintings are splashy and larger than life, charged with bold, colorful brushstrokes that seem to vault off the canvas. The approach matches the heft of the considerations he undertakes: Ortega, who immigrated from Peru at the turn of the millennium, is interested in the relationship between migration and material culture. What I Left, And What I Brought, his site-specific installation at Duke University’s Power Plant Gallery, is a sprawling tribute to those considerations. A series of accompanying events not only highlights the exhibit, but also introduces new perspectives. Ortega’s “Displacement Potluck” asks participants to bring a dish that relates to their experience of dislocation or immigration (examples given: a batch of cookies baked prior to an eviction, a pasta dish made before a move between states). This culling of personal history is an intimate invitation to break bread, experience art up close, and reframe narratives around belonging. Next up is a night of music relating to displacement on February 15, the day before the exhibit closes. —Sarah Edwards