2021 Master of Visual Studies Thesis Exhibitions
The University of Toronto

Forward by Jean-Paul Kelly Acknowledgements

No estoy seguro en nuestros nombres / I’m not sure I remember all of our names

Oscar Alfonso

Oscar Alfonso, 9 de Abril / April 9th, 2021. Photo: Courtesy of the artist.

Presented in English and Spanish, No estoy seguro en nuestros nombres / I’m not sure I remember all of our names is the result of a year-long collaborative process anchored by the small cluster of avocado trees that have kept me company. As a way of exploring queer and migrant ideas of kinship and inheritance, the project invited over 200 of my relations to share a story — a piece of ‘knowledge’ — that they would like to inherit to the Avocados. Relations were guided to respond to one or more avocado themes: obsolescence, stationaryness, expectations, travel, and diaspora. The resulting 80 exchanges include letters, reflections, fiction, poems, and textual experiments that bring us together through a web platform, a live reading, and a limited edition book. For now and forever, our children they will be.

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Presentado en inglés y español, No estoy seguro en nuestros nombres / I’m not sure I remember all of our names surge de un proceso colaborativo durante el año previo, anclado en un huertito de arbolitos de aguacate que me han acompañado. Como una forma de explorar ideas queer y migratorias de herencia y parentesco, invite al proyecto a más de 200 de mis relaciones a compartir un cuento — una pieza de ‘conocimiento’ — que quisieran heredar a los Aguacates, las relaciones fueron guiadas a responder a uno o más temáticas de los aguacates: la obsolescencia, la estacionariedad, la expectativa, el viaje, y la diáspora, los intercambios resultantes incluyen cartas, reflexiones, ficción, poemas, y experimentos escritos que nos juntan a través de una versión digital, una lectura en vivo, y un libro en edición limitada. Por ahora y para siempre, nuestros peques serán.

Oscar Alfonso works with text, digital media, and installations. He may also write but he remains unsure if he qualifies. Born en La Ciudad de México on the former lakebed of el lago de Texcoco and raised in the vicinity of Vancouver in the unceded territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), and kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) Nations, his practice focuses on reconstructing a relationship to home. After what felt like an eternity, he received a BFA and BA from Simon Fraser University and is currently reflecting on what it means to ‘be away’ and on who is not here. Nevertheless, he will always have his avocados.

osalfonso.com

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Project Website: http://nuestrosnombres.osalfonso.com/

La lectura / The reading
Sábado, 5 de Junio, 2021, 12:00 mediodía de la Ciudad de México hasta tarde.
Saturday, June 5, 2021, 10:00am PST / 1:00pm EST till late.

Oscar Alfonso, 28 de Junio / June 28th, 2020. Photo: Courtesy of the artist.
Oscar Alfonso, 30 de Junio / June 30th, 2020. Photo: Courtesy of the artist.
Oscar Alfonso, 16 de Julio / July 16th, 2020. Photo: Courtesy of the artist, Avena, Mark Bennett, and Prodpran.
Oscar Alfonso, 22 de Agosto / August 22nd, 2020. Photo: Courtesy of the artist.
Oscar Alfonso, 31 de Agosto / August 31st, 2020. Photo: Courtesy of the artist.