No Longer Empty Presents The Teen ‘Future Fix’ Exhibition

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The NYC non-profit’s latest project called, “When You Cut Into the Present the Future Leaks Out” features the amazing talents of local Bronx teens.

“When You Cut Into the Present the Future Leaks Out” currently occupies three floors of the Old Bronx Borough Courthouse, a building that was until recently shut off from the public for the past 37 years. The building itself, which symbolizes the past possess a dual role in determining the future and present interpretations of society through various narrative keeping in sync with the overarching theme of the exhibition. The “Future Fix” exhibition focuses on how the present in many ways dictates the future and gives today’s youth, who are ultimately our future, the chance to showcase their work. The word “fix,” having a multiplicity of meanings from injustice to addiction, links back to the multi-faceted nature of our futures. Essentially the exhibit poses the question “do the past and present dictate our future?” The 25 works in the exhibition come from New York City high school students, with many standout pieces from the Bronx itself.

[slideshow] The pieces featured in the exhibition include paintings, photography, sculptures, film, and various mixed media creations. There are various dialogues at play in the exhibition regarding the role and identity of the Bronx itself and its juxtaposing impact on the youth. The artists use the Bronx to express their pride as well as conflicting frustration with the inequality prevalent within the borough. One standout piece in the exhibition called “Colorism” is a film by two InTech Academy’s 12th graders Andrea Amoateng and Maia Robinson. “Colorism” touches on various subjects such as the portrayal of minorities in society. Another piece includes a pamphlet on the NYPD and depicts how the likelihood of stop and frisk, for example, increases the darker one’s skin color is. 17-year-old Amber Baez presents a powerful written piece venting her emotions of rejection as a result of being a minority contrasted by the bright futures of those that have “bright skin.” “Still We Rise” is another moving piece oil and collage on canvas, by 10th grader Kassi Padilla. “Still We Rise” combines various media images taken from recent protests, all plastered on top of a body with a bullet-hole whose mouth has been sealed shut. This piece so clearly captures the impact society’s injustice is having on our youth and the role it’s playing in shaping their perceptions.