Headline: Building something out of nothing

Subhead: Haitian ArtPrize contestants visit GV to discuss their work

By David Specht

[email protected]

While much of Grand Valley State University’s student body was focused on the comedy show and other Homecoming-related happenings taking place this past week, a relatively small group was engaged in what was perhaps a more thought-provoking presentation that took place on Wednesday in the lower level of the Kirkhof Center.

On Oct. 8, Haitian ArtPrize contestants Romel Jean Pierre and Racine Polycarpe met with a few dozen students and faculty members on campus to share their experiences in both Grand Rapids as well as in their hometown of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The visitors’ entries focused on repurposing materials that would typically be thrown out, such as worn out tires, scrap metal and wood.

“Everything they throw in the garbage, we can use it,” Pierre said. “When you turn that into something, it’s less garbage in the street, it’s less pollution in the air and it’s more art.”

The two artists are part of Atiz Rezistans – an artist collective based in Haiti that was founded by Polycarpe’s uncle around 20 years ago. Though the two artists utilize different outlets – Pierre is a videographer while Polycarpe is a sculptor – both are heavily involved in Atiz Rezistans.

“As artists, I consider myself as an ambassador,” Pierre said. “My art is meant to represent my country. My art is meant to show people my culture…”

The artists’ visit to the university was made possible by a handful of groups on campus, one of which was the GVSU Students for Haiti, whose president, Cathie Jean, attended the presentation. Jean believes that the artists’ work – which received mixed reviews at ArtPrize due to both the medium as well as the overall message, which included the acceptance of death – is worth taking the time to understand.

“When things are complicated to comprehend, we do not want to deal with it,” she said. “We just say, ‘well that is interesting,’ and walk away. Most people choose not to interpret the meaning; they want the meaning interpreted to them. If people took the time to really listen to what the artist had to say, then they would give it more consideration.”

On Jan. 10, the GVSU Students for Haiti group plans on having a Haitian dance company come to campus to perform. For more information about the student group, contact [email protected].

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