JARO5 ft. Ivan Gaete and Graciela Cassel by Oscar Laluyan

Taking One Last Ride at Rooster Gallery

Photographs provided by Rooster Gallery

“I shall pass this way but once; any good that I can do or any kindness I can show to any human being; let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”

– Etienne de Grellet

What does a quote from a Quaker missionary have to do with the last show of Rooster Gallery on Orchard Street? I’ll get to that later but you heard it right as this is their last show. Yes, the time has come and most of the pioneering galleries from five years ago are closing shop on the LES and moving on. And for their swan song at the space, Rooster presented Jaro 5 last June 9^th which incidentally I covered Jaro 1 as the first feature for them. Everything has come full circle and I am back along for the ride.

Jaro is the annual exhibition that features artists from Residency Unlimited (RU) and its stance on innovative new talent in contemporary art has been showcased well by the gallery. Jaro 5: The Passenger pairs up Ivan Gaete and Graciela Cassel. Their two distinct art practices meet in this show and go together on this ride. As an art viewer, I am also getting on the ride and the vehicle called the gallery programming is worth getting on.