ART SHOW | $5 SUGGESTED DONATION | ALL AGES | Ceremony is a four part video installation by Olivia Margarita Gastaldo. Ceremony invites its audience to confront and challenge the toxic impacts of catholicism and colonization - specifically on women and queer people. Each piece references a ceremony or common anecdote in the catholic church, and speaks directly to the church’s violent legacies ever present in our modern society. The issues we face today are direct reverberations of the past — it's up to us to reform our culture for the next generation. Ceremony encourages us all to evaluate traditions of old and revolutionize rituals of the future; a future rich in love, celebration, transformation, and community unity.
What will be your ceremony?
Olivia Margarita Gastaldo (they/them) is a visual storyteller, amateur botanist, wanna be chef, and lover of all things Ghibli. As a child, Olivia grew up between the west and east coasts of the US, in San Diego and in New York City. They were born into a multicultural family, a blend of indigenous Mexican and European heritage. On both sides of their family, Olivia was blessed to be surrounded by excellent poets, photographers, and storytellers. Olivia was raised by two artists who valued creativity and resourcefulness above all. They shared their love for the arts through soul + blues music, photography, interior design and a deep respect + admiration for the natural world.
When Olivia was ten years old, they were diagnosed with Leukemia. During treatment, Olivia would devour as many films and video games as possible. Those universes helped them heal and motivated them to create their own worlds through film. Olivia attended Catholic school for a large majority of their childhood, and was frequently caught debating the teachers and nuns on just about everything. When Olivia moved to San Francisco at eighteen they discovered a true sense of community and acceptance in the vibrant bay area arts scene. From San Francisco, Olivia went on to live and establish themselves as a filmmaker in Los Angeles. Olivia’s approach to film is holistic, yet intimate. By referencing deeply personal experiences, they mix a variety of their creative interests immersing their audiences into unique, quirky worlds. When not on set, Olivia can be found adventuring around California, cooking without recipes, and striking up sincere conversations with folks they meet along the way.
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