Liene Bosquê has been interested in the history of vernacular as well as iconic architecture of small and big cities. In reinterpreting symbolic constructions into miniature sculptures that allude to travel souvenirs, the artist tackles not only concepts of collection, but also notions of personal and collective memories. Bosquê is interested in the meanings that human beings attach to places and objects, and how such experiences can serve as catalysts to alter public perspectives, inserting them into private domains.
In her first solo show in the United States, titled Suspended Memories, at Point of Contact Gallery, Bosquê explores the own history of the city of Syracuse, unearthing buildings that have been demolished and obliterated from the city’s landscape. The artist will present works in various media, such as sculpture, installation, video, and imprints, portraying some of Syracuse’s symbolic landmarks, which probably do not carry the same significance nationwide, thus transforming them into iconic constructions, worthy of being memorialized and reinserted within the history of the region and the country. By activating local remembrances, Bosquê emphasizes the importance of preserving places of symbolic affection in opposition to the constant renewing of the landscape in the name of progress and industrialization.
Born in São Paulo, Brazil, Liene Bosquê (1980) is a visual artist based in New York City. In 2013 she was a resident artist at Workspace Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC), having received the Manhattan Community Arts Fund. Bosquê has attended the New York Foundation for the Arts Mentoring Program for Immigrant Artists, in addition to participating in the 2012 Lower East Side Studio Program and being granted a place at the 2011 New York Art Residency and Studios (NARS) Foundation.
Bosquê holds a MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (2011), a BFA from the São Paulo Estate University (2003), and a BA in Architecture and Urbanism from the Mackenzie University (2004), also in São Paulo, Brazil. While living in Lisbon, Portugal, she was the recipient of the 2007 “Anteciparte” Award, having completed, in 2008, the Advanced Course at Centro de Arte e Comunicação Visual (Ar.Co.).
Her installations, sculptures, performances, and site-specific works have been exhibited internationally at locations such as William Holman Gallery in New York (2014); the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago (2013); Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Arts Center in Governors Island, New York (2013); and New York Foundation for the Arts Gallery in Brooklyn, New York (2013); the Elmhurst Art Museum in Elmhurst, Illinois (2012); Carpe Diem in Lisbon, Portugual (2010); Museu de Arte de Ribeirão Preto in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil (2007); among others non-profit galleries and public spaces in Brazil, Portugal, Turkey, and United States.