Donna Conlon & Jonathan Harker, Secret Passages

"Secret Passages" presents five recent video works by artists Donna Conlon and Jonathan Harker. Embodying their distinctly playful yet incisive critiques of contemporary culture, the films operate along two thematic axes: hidden narratives and the serendipitous possibilities of a journey. "Tapitapultas (Capapults)" (2012) and "Bajo la alfombra" (Under the Rug) (2015) begin with idiosyncratic scenes and materials—disposable spoons used to catapult colorful plastic bottle caps, an ever-growing assortment of trash swept under a section of turf—only to reveal sharp observations of accumulation, consumption, identity, and the stories we fabricate to conceal the consequences of our actions. "Zincfonía tropical (Tropical Zincphony)" (2013) and "Efecto dominó (Domino effect)" (2013) abandon conventional storytelling in favor of abstract and joyful romps through two distinct yet typical Panamanian landscapes. In a final odyssey, "Voz a la deriva (The Voice Adrift)" (2017) offers a mysterious and ultimately unresolved tale of hope, fragility, and resilience.