CANJE: A note on what we gained and learned about cultural criticism

November 1, 2022

A look at Sixty’s first iteration of CANJE, a 5-session cultural ‘critique’ program that took place in the summer of 2022.

Image: A photo of the first session of CANJE. The following folks sit and stand together while smiling at the camera: Victoria Martinez, Morgan Green, Francine Almeda, Natalia Villanueva Linares, Kiki Lechuga-Dupont, EdVette Jones, Tempestt Hazel, and Christina Nafziger. Photo by Ryan Edmund Thiel.

CANJE is an exploration in cultural criticism engaging five artists in the Chicago community with the intention to apply Sixty’s values and ethos to an in-person dialogue, engaging artists directly to form a deeper relationship.

Logo by Kiki Lechuga-Dupont.

Over the course of five gatherings during this past summer, Morgan Green, EdVette Jones, Kiki Lechuga-Dupont, Christina Nafziger, and Natalia Villanueva Linares — all members of the Sixty team — came together and formed a cohort to collaboratively establish best practices in cultural criticism while creating a supportive critique environment that puts the artist first so that the experience is mutual beneficial: an exchange between the artist and the cohort.

The cohort engaged with five artists — Victoria Martinez, Rainn Thomas, Susie Xiong, Carnell Newbill, Kelly Kristin Jones — who each presented a body of work to the cohort. Each session, we were graciously joined by a ‘guest critic’, which included Francine Almeda, J. Kent, Kashif Moore, Yvonne Toney, and Kristin Taylor. A huge thanks to all of the participating artists and guest critics for joining us during this inaugural CANJE program! Learn more about CANJE’s participants.

The CANJE folks would like to share with you some of their most memorable moments from this meaningful experience…

Image: A photo of the second session of CANJE. The following folks stand and sit together while smiling at the camera: Kiki Lechuga-Dupont, EdVette Jones, J Kent, Christina Nafziger, Tempestt Hazel, Rainn Thomas, Morgan Green, and Natalia Villanueva Linares. Photo by Ryan Edmund Thiel.

“After a long CANJE conversation, a few of us ended up dancing under the Dan Ryan on the way home. It was a warm summer night and our laughter echoed off the overpass. That critique session, with Rainn Thomas, held both brutality and a ton of tenderness. We talked about the animism in her installation of found objects, which included discarded photo albums, haunted toys, faux-gilded bibles — nostalgia and cruelty. It was the tenderness in the conversation that carried us out into the night.

CANJE was making the choice to talk about art deeply, over food, and at some length. Because we made the decision to discuss the work with care, there was a sense of magic and shared knowledge that came out of it. CANJE helped me remember that you don’t need to be part of an exclusive institution to do this magic thing: to choose art, to create space for deep looking and listening. This kind of intention means crits can turn into dancing under the Dan Ryan. In MFA programs, critique is notorious for yielding tears, but it doesn’t have to be that way.”

– Morgan Green

Image: A photo of the first session of CANJE. The presenting artist Victoria Martinez sits in a chair in the front of the room while gesturing towards her presentation on the wall. She is talking about her work with the CANJE cohort and special guest, Francine Almeda. Photo by Ryan Edmund Thiel.

Image: A photo of the fifth session of CANJE. Natalia Villanueva Linares sits in a chair with a notebook in her hands while talking about the work of Kelly Kristin Jones. Morgan Green sits to her left. The presenting artist was Kelly Kristin Jones and the special guest was Kristin Taylor. Photo by EdVette Jones.

“One of my favorite moments from CANJE was seeing artists I invited, Susie Xiong (insomniabird) and Kashif Moore, meet with one another and engage with the group through our discussion and response to insomniabird’s work. I have known both of these people for years, and it felt so special to witness them open up and speak freely and passionately with people they just met. Art is such a connector. In a short time, it can guide a group of strangers into new friendships. There was such a feeling of camaraderie by the end of each of the CANJE sessions, and I’m so excited for more and more people to experience this magic.”

– Kiki Lechuga-Dupont

Image: A photo of the second session of CANJE. Four Sixty folks sit in chairs while discussing the work of Rainn Thomas. From left to right: Morgan Green, Natalia Villanueva Linares, EdVette Jones, and Tempestt Hazel. The presenting artist was Rainn Thomas and the special guest was J Kent. Photo by Ryan Edmund Thiel.

Image: A photo of the third session of CANJE. Artist Susie Xiong (@insomniabird) sits in a chair while looking at and talking about her work, which is being projected onto the wall behind her. Two folks can be seen to the right side of the frame. The specia guest who joined this session was Kashif Moore. Photo by EdVette Jones. — Image: A photo of the third session of CANJE. Artist Susie Xiong (@insomniabird) sits in a chair while looking at and talking about her work, which is being projected onto the wall behind her. Two folks can be seen to the right side of the frame. The special guest who joined this session was Kashif Moore. Photo by EdVette Jones.

“One of the more challenging conversations during CANJE was with artist Kelly Kristin Jones. Her photo-based work interrogates contested monuments (as well as monuments in general and who engaged with them publicly). We were specifically discussing the artist’s collection of found photographs of white women posing with (mostly hyper-masculine, male) monuments. When I say the conversation was challenging, I mean this in a positive way, as I think anything worth doing is going to come with some challenges.

Pushing and challenging ourselves and how we talk about art, how we engage with artists’ work, and how artists talk about their own work is part of what CANJE is all about. This push and pull, this exchange is what gives it its richness and texture. Because Kelly Kristin Jones is a white woman herself, and the collection of found photographs included a photo of her grandmother posing with a monument, the questions became very pointed and personal. We as a group recognized the intimacy, challenges, and even discomfort in this line of questioning, but decided to push through it. This was a wonderful moment that I saw as only possible through the trust and deep respect we have for each other.”

– Christina Nafziger

Image: A photo of the second session of CANJE. Kiki Lechuga-Dupont sits in a chair while writing notes in a notebook that sits on her lap. The presenting artist was Rainn Thomas and the special guest was J Kent. Photo by Ryan Edmund Thiel.

Image: A photo of the second session of CANJE. Rainn Thomas stands in the front of a room while pointing at their work, which is being projected onto the wall behind her. Photo by Ryan Edmund Thiel.

Words offered from participants to capture their hopes for CANJE:

Nourishing   //   Generative   //   Community-building   //   Global   //   New   //   Honest   //   Energizing   //   Challenging   //   Accompany   //   Sincere   //   Eagerness   //   Community   //   Nourishment   //   Dialogue   //   Growth   //   Resilience   //   Spontaneity   //   Slowness   //   Contemplation   //   Beginnings   //   Spirited   //   Sparkling   //   Warm   //   Supportive   //   Nurturing   //   Bold   //   Informative   //   Unapologetic   //   Mycelial   //   Woven   //   Lush

Image: A photo of the fifth session of CANJE. Kristin Taylor sits in a chair while gesturing and talking about the work of Kelly Kristin Jones, who sits to her right. Photo by EdVette Jones.

Image: A photo of the fourth session of CANJE. Presenting artist Carnell Newbill (aka: Spike Rebel) sits in a chair in the middle of the room while singing and play guitar. Around him sits members of the CANJE cohort. The special guest was Yvonne Toney. Photo by EdVette Jones.

Image: A photo of the fifth session of CANJE. Presenting artist Kelly Kristin Jones sits in a chair in the corner of the room while gesturing and talking about her artwork. Photo by EdVette Jones.

CANJE was dreamt up and organized by Natalia Villanueva Linares, EdVetté Wilson Jones, and Christina Nafziger with support from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.