TRANQUILO GALLERY AND EXPERIENCE
Tranquilo is WAMOO’s latest audio, visual album, and short film, which draws from his childhood with video games. It has been displayed in the Brooklyn Museum and Lightbox in New York City and the Magic Box at The Reef in Los Angeles. Obsidian: Literature & Arts in the African Diaspora and Apricity Magazine have also featured WAMOO's works. The Tranquilo short film has been selected to be in the Chroma Arts Film Festival in Miami under the Cinematic Poetry Category.
Through his residence with ¡OYE! Group and in partnership with DigiAna, WAMOO will build on this project and develop a gallery and musical performances.
Tranquilo: A Semi-Autobiographical Gallery and Experience tell the coming-of-age story of Wamoo (Juan Alvarez), a Dominican immigrant in the United States. As a pre-teen, Wamoo encountered various obstacles when he relocated to Washington Heights. Apart from a language barrier, he had difficulty forming relationships with the local Dominican-American children who had already established themselves in the community. Integrating music, theater, and video, Tranquilo explores the hilarious cultural misunderstandings and the somber realities of isolation and loneliness. The exhibition will take audiences on a life journey with a digital-collage twist; both tech and live elements are used to tell the story with its seams exposed. The visual aesthetics are linked to video games, creating a nostalgic thread between the younger and the present Wamoo. The music is heavily influenced by hip-hop, reggaeton, and ambient electronic music. The final non-traditional musical performances will be performed by a small ensemble cast.
