Perfect Day: Drugs and Art

White Box New York

drug and arts / white box harlem

Opens November 10th, 6-8PM
WhiteBox Annex @ ChaShaMa Space for Artists
1791 Lexington Avenue
Curated by Raul Zamudio and Juan Puntes
Organized with Kyoko Sato

GROUP SHOW in White Box Harlem, New York City

Since the dawn of history

Entheogens were regarded as sacraments by shamans, their ingestion enabling communication with deities, deceased ancestors, and spirits. Today, medical research on synthetic equivalents of hallucinogenic plants and substances—particularly potent psychedelics such as LSD and MDMA—is opening new avenues for treating various psychological disorders through their administration in low doses, a practice known as microdosing.

At the same time

Painkillers used in surgery and post-operative care have been massively abused, leading to widespread addiction and tens of thousands of fatal overdoses. This has resulted in legal actions against Purdue Pharma, the main producer of opioids. On October 21, 2020, it was announced that Purdue had reached a settlement potentially amounting to $8.3 billion, acknowledging that it had “knowingly and intentionally conspired and collaborated with others to aid and encourage” doctors to prescribe these medications “without legitimate medical reason.”

Beyond Purdue’s criminal intentions

The "war on drugs," launched by Richard Nixon in 1971, was lost — but it was the drugs that won. In this context, many researchers advocate for the full decriminalization of drugs, which would help reduce crime, homelessness, hospital and prison overcrowding, while promoting a more humane approach to a global addiction crisis. The legalization of recreational cannabis represents the first step. In some European Union countries, decriminalization has already shown positive social results, contrary to the claims of certain political conservatives who fear it might encourage consumption.

And of course

Il y a aussi l’usage des enthéogènes et des drogues dans un but esthétique, a source of inspiration for many iconic works in art and literature.

Perfect Day: Drugs and Art It is an international group exhibition bringing together painting, sculpture, works on paper, photography, video, and performance. It explores the social, cultural, and political dimensions of psychoactive substances in human societies, from both historical and contemporary perspectives.

Participating artists: