Artist Andrés Bustamante threads a difficult needle: He makes abstract sculptures that actually have a lot to say. The longtime Nashville-based artist draws on his experience as a young immigrant and refugee — he arrived in the U.S. from Colombia at age 10 — to make works that communicate that struggle through materials like chain-link fence and barbed wire. Conceptually, DOLORES uses clever wordplay as its foundation. The Spanish word dolores, which means pain, is only one letter away from dólares, which means money. “Corporations like the GEO Group and CoreCivic reveal the underlying logic,” he explains in his artist statement. “Detained bodies generate revenue. In this system, dolores become dólares. The love of money overtakes the love of humanity.” The show opens on Saturday, and Bustamante will give an artist talk at 7:30 p.m., followed by a performance by movement artist Phylicia Roybal. A percentage of proceeds will be donated to The Remix Way, a group that handles mutual aid and community support for immigrant families.
Opening reception 6-9 p.m.; through Aug. 27 at Arcade Arts Gallery 63
223 Fourth Ave. N.
