Sean Francis

"Voudo Riche," the exhibit of contemporary art from Haiti, is nothing short of stunning—an array of works by turns explosively colorful and shockingly grim that reveals the continuing importance of Haiti’s spiritual national religion. Beware, however: it may well put a spell on you. Conflagrations of color—almost audibly vivid, but tautly composed—flame out from the show’s many drapo: flags of satin or velvet sewn with thousands of beads and sequins depicting interactions between the multiple gods and mortals. In "Agaou et Maitre Defile," a dandy who has sold his soul is tormented by a fabulous dragon (the Devil) and the goddess of thunder, a kind of Caribbean Medusa. Originally sacred objects meant for ceremonies, these are now produced for the international art market, and are often outlandishly sexual. On the darker side are harsh sculptures pieced together from the impoverished country’s detritus—like the trio of infernal machine-men, capped by actual skulls, forged from motorcycle chassis and roaring toward the apocalypse. Here Thanatos snaps back at Eros with a vengeance, inducing a shudder, yet the bleak humor of three rictus grins leavens the extremity of the vision.

"Voudo Riche" shows at Columbia College’s Glass Curtain Gallery, 104 South Wabash, (312)344-6650, through October 16. (2007-09-04)

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