AUSTIN, TEXAS.- The Contemporary Austin is currently showcasing work by Mexico City-based artist duo Celeste, on view at the Jones Center March 3–August 20, 2023. This is the inaugural exhibition in The Contemporary’s new exhibition series, HOST.

Celeste is formed by María Fernanda Camarena (b. Guadalajara, 1988) and Gabriel Rosas Alemán (b. Mexico City, 1983). The artists' collaborative practice centers on explorations of archetypal images and the creation of physical spaces that inspire social interactions. Their largescale, dyed, and painted fabric installations employ a distinctive warm color palette and respond to architectural environments while incorporating abstracted images, such as extended hands and empty vessels, that speak to the personal and collective unconscious.

Collaboration is fundamental to the artists' approach. Alemán and Camarena consciously make space for one another in their creative process and extend this gesture outward to include the presence and participation of others. The idea of collaboration also informs the contrasting themes of opposition and accord visible in their work.

For their exhibition at The Contemporary, Celeste will debut a new textile painting specifically created for the HOST gallery space alongside new wall-mounted copper sculptures. The exhibition is conceived as an environment that visitors may enter and activate.

HOST is an exhibition series that amplifies The Contemporary Austin’s commitment to centering artists and welcoming publics. With each exhibition cycle, an artist will create an environment in the new HOST gallery space at the Jones Center. Throughout the run of each exhibition, artists will invite visitors into their worlds with tailored programming.

Ernest and Sarah Butler Executive Director & CEO sharon maidenberg states, “We are so excited to launch HOST, as both a space and a program, and welcome Celeste as the inaugural artist. HOST aligns with our values of trying new things and extending the welcome, both of which are reflected in Celeste’s practice.”

HOST: Celeste is curated by Robin K. Williams, Curator, The Contemporary Austin.