The Contemporary Dayton (The Co) presents two new exhibitions that explore the female form. These exhibitions will be on view from July 14 – October 1, 2023, in The Co’s galleries. The exhibitions are free and open to all Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sunday, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., and during Summer First Fridays with Scripted in Black, July– August, 7 p.m. – 10 p.m.

OPENING NIGHT / FRIDAY, JULY 14, 2023
Members Preview: 5–6 p.m.
Public Reception: 6–8 p.m.
Free admission. Donation bar and light bites.

VANESSA GERMAN WITH SANDRA KEAT GERMAN (1948-2014) / THE BLUE MOTHER
The Contemporary Dayton presents THE BLUE MOTHER, an installation of sculptural works by artist and activist vanessa german that celebrate the human form as a vessel of power and change. A visual storyteller, german utilizes assemblage and mixed media, combining locally found objects to build protective ritualistic structures known as her power figures or tar babies. Modeled on Congolese Nkisi sculptures and drawing on folk art practices, they are embellished with materials including beading, glass, fabric, and sculpted wood, and come into existence at the axis on which Black power, spirituality, mysticism, and feminism converge.
The exhibition will also feature quilts by german’s mother, Sandra Keat German, a prominent figure in the quilting community and enormous influence on vanessa german’s consciousness and work.

BÁRBARA WAGNER & BENJAMIN DE BURCA / Swinguerra
The Contemporary Dayton presents Swinguerra, a film by Bárbara Wagner and Benjamin de Burca that premiered 2019 Venice Biennale. Collaborating since 2011, Wagner and de Burca create works in video, photography, and installation that explore contemporary histories of underground dance and musical genres. Swinguerra focuses on disadvantaged queer communities of color in Recife, Brazil, with an emphasis on transgender and non-binary performers.
The film features three contemporary dance styles—swingueira, brega funk, and passinho da maloca—as performed by three competitive dance groups. These mixed dance styles recall Brazil’s colonial and slave trade history, where music and dance functioned as discreet methods of organizing politically under oppressive regimes. Fast-paced, athletic, sexy, dreamlike, and aggressive, the dance styles, like the music, make Swinguerra an exhilarating and unforgettable viewing experience, illustrating how dance and music offer rich sources of agency, resistance, and community for marginalized individuals.