Elijah Wheat Showroom celebrates Marcel Alcalá’s relocation to NY, as we present an exhibition entitled, “Holding Court.” The Showroom will serve as a studio for 10 days as Alcalá derives magic and the power of ulterior realities by the creation of New Work. Santeria and spiritisma is steeped deeply within their upbringing, as this week intends to topple the standard notion of a gallery. Acting as theirself, the artist will be present, producing work throughout the duration of open hours. Using the walls like a studio, and conjuring passerby’s inside to experience their process.

Both political and critical, Alcalá consistently roots for love and power for their QPOC family while pointing out the flaws of an absurd societal structure. Overall, Alcalá's artistic practice holds varying gestural forms. From vibrant, playful, narrative illustrations to keenly written and socially conscientious poetry performances always addressing the uncertainty of our American consumerist culture and upending ‘freedom of expression.’ The works’ delivery twists identity politics inside a country led by corporations.

Marcel’s work is symbolic and crude, venturing outside of institutional structures, they often tackle gender, celebrity and commodification of culture.  Figurative paintings depicting ‘male’ nudes with penetrating arrowhead or snakelike members expose themselves in a wild, colorfully active setting. Many characters flaunt high-end  'female' accessories. The glyph-like, emoticon faces feign emotion and serve as masks for the beings. With added text and symbols, Marcel visually addresses privacy, attraction, mystery, classism and destabilizing white privilege. As the clown that fascinates him, Alcalá uses humor, play, and the absurd to level essential critiques at the extremes and everyday banalities of societal power.

We welcome you to experience the new work on display between June 26th until July 5th, with a ‘Open Studio’ vibe. EWS will host a mid-term viewing on Saturday, June 30th from 7pm-10pm.

Marcel Alcalá (b. 1990, Santa Ana, CA) raised by Mexican "immigrants", inhabiting the U.S. before the Christian Colonial invasion. They received a BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 2012. Alcalá has shown work and performed in: New York, NY // Brooklyn, NY // L.A., CA // Chicago, IL // Burlington, VT // Mexico City, Mexico // Paris, France // Lausanne, Switzerland // Oslo, Norway among other cities.  Alcalá also regularly performs activist spoken-word made-up as a clown. Marcel is further known for founding “McPoems”, a take-over poetry experience at McDonald franchises in Chicago & LA. They have received the Smithsonian Young Ambassador Scholarship among other awards for residencies in France and Norway.