Conde Contemporary is pleased to present the experiential group exhibition “Idols of The Tribe”. Featured artists include: Anthony Ardavin, José Bedia, Ernesto Capdevila, Andres Conde, Elaine Del Cerro Yau, Natasha Kertes, Andy Llanes Bulto, Laura Luna, Darian Mederos, Mariana Monteagudo, Luis Rodriguez Noa, Enrique Toledo, Luis Enrique Toledo del Rio and Ruben Torres Llorca.

“The father of the scientific method, Sir Francis Bacon, tells us to disregard our idols, for they are a logical fallacy. Only his brand of science understands reality, and generations of men will use it to dominate nature, rendering her, in his words, “the slave of mankind”.

‘The Idols of the Tribe have their foundation in human nature itself, and in the tribe or race of men. For it is a false assertion that the sense of man is the measure of things. On the contrary, all perceptions as well of the sense as of the mind are according to the measure of the individual and not according to the measure of the universe. And the human understanding is like a false mirror, which, receiving rays irregularly, distorts and discolors the nature of things by mingling its own nature with it.’ — Sir Francis Bacon, Novum Organum, Aphorism XLI

Ancient wisdom tells us that perception is in fact reality, and so now does quantum physics. Isn't it possible that the measure of the universe was built into the minds of humans, as we ourselves are built of the universe?

Quantum physics has proven the act of observing "things" changes them. The cold, disconnected, and totally objective fantasy of science simply does not exist. If everything we view is distorted and discolored, and mixed with our own nature by simply looking at it, then there is no pure form of nature, at least none we can experience, on any level, and if there is no pure form, only we can be the measure of things based on our individual experiences.

It is no secret the guardians of ancient wisdom have often been women. Guardians of a sort of knowledge that flew in the face of Bacon’s arguments. Is it a coincidence Bacon was directly involved in witch trials? Should we ignore his participation in the 300 year long genocide of women? Does his language of power, torture, domination and the sexual violation of nature (referred to with feminine pronouns) mean anything, or was it just a sign of the times?

We embrace our idols, and we choose them wisely. We are creating universes. I’ve always known this, but then I’m a woman. You can believe me now because science agrees.” – S. Conde