Dan Ortiz Leizman
NUCLEAR
January 6 – January 28, 2024

NUCLEAR is an exhibition that explores queer pregnancy and nuclear pessimism in the context of late stage capitalism through digital media and installation. Central to this exhibit is NUKESOUND, a short documentary—style film which contains AI generated imagery and sound to depict a world where nuclear radiation triggers asexual reproduction. Complementing the film is an immersive floor-to-ceiling installation of street-style poster prints and a playable plexiglass record. The prints, inspired by AI generated prompts and containing propaganda and ads, immerse the viewer into a paradigm where asexual reproduction has become reality. The plexiglass record plays a reading of the CDC’s FAQ webpage for nuclear disaster. This installation invites viewers to consider alternative reproductive methods for the queer body and combines anti-war sentiment with pessimistic navigation strategies and queer world building

About the Artist:

Dan Ortiz Leizman is an artist, writer, and educator currently based in the DMV area. They are completing an MFA degree in the University of Maryland’s Department of Art and received their Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy and Studio Art from Goucher College. Recent awards include the 2023 Clarvit Endowed Faculty and Graduate Student Research Fund and the 2023 ArtsAMP Interdisciplinary Graduate Student Research Grant.