The karaoke machine is ubiquitous in Asian life, so what better way to communicate with an audience? Anton Belardo’s new exhibit, The Jellyfish Karaoke, revolves around it. This is the third installment of her ongoing visual diary series Jellyfish Kisses, a playful and experiential searching of complex human emotions.
The paintings and sculptures all circle around Anton’s personal experiences of heartbreak, sadness, pleasure, and joy. Each piece has a karaoke code for a title. Once loaded into the machine, a pop song will play to help the viewer interpret, as well as relate with, the art piece.
The exhibit is like a wonderland—fluorescent lights, balloons hung from the ceiling, strips of metallic paper, rainbow colors, and bright-eyed characters with heart-shaped faces. It’s a party, to say the least. There’s even a pile of cushions where visitors can sit and chill. The festive vibe is very much part of Anton’s message, too. As she unravels her heart and soul to the guests through her art, we, in turn, are given the freedom to relax and be ourselves. To acknowledge that we, too, as human beings, experience a wide spectrum of emotions. To be vulnerable. To celebrate all of that without fear of being judged.
We need more safe spaces like this. Thanks to brilliant artists like Anton Belardo who use their skills and ingenuity to create them.
Jellyfish Karaoke opened on July 11 and is currently open to viewers at Vinyl on Vinyl Gallery.
