the FGA *(aka Fucking Good Art)

Founded by Pedro Vélez and Michael Bulka in 1997, the FGA (aka Fucking Good Art) started as a poorly published Xerox zine and online site dedicated to drunken rants and art criticism --this was before the term "blog" even existed. In 2001, with the help of artist/curator Lena Kuffner, the FGA evolved into a curatorial effort housed in diverse venues between Chicago and Puerto Rico. By 2004 the FGA had a swell group of collaborators (working for free) organizing exhibitions developed specifically for the web, rental spaces, art fairs and sound compilations. Some of those you might have seen but weren't aware it was art...and we are never going to tell. By the way, that magazine from Europe that bears our name- in classic Impact font and raggedy look-they have our blessing.

For the record, here is a list of curators and collaborators of the FGA in the past 7 years: Gean Moreno, Gardy Pérez, Jorge Castro, Raimundo Figueroa and Arte Foundation, Walter Fernández, Mariel Alvarez, Nina Luis, Rebekah Rutkoff, Stefano Pasquini and Joseph Hardesty.

Comprehensive web site coming soon!

You can always contact us with complains at:
fgaspace@hotmail.com

a few FGA exhibitions, events and products

  • Les recomiendo (si es que no lo han visto) buscar su copia de esta edición del periódico Diálogo. Es digno de archivar. La reportera cultural Ana Teresa To...
  • [image: The Dams 3 invite with image by Melanie Schiff] Invite for The DAMS 2(cover image: Melanie Schiff "see through") The DAMS 2 took place at the for...

Great people the FGA has worked with...



Jay Heikes, Maria Alos, Javier Cambre, Juana Valdez, Stefano Pasquini, Omar Lopez-Chahoud, las Bukakees, Ozzie Forbes, Quintin Rivera-Toro, Ivelisse Jimenez, Jan Estep, Adam Scott, Marc Fischer, Richard Ashcroft, Cindy Loehr, Paul Druecke and Social Event Archive, Jenn Ramsey, Law Office
Macroporno, Gerald Davis, Nicholas Frank, Kirsten Stoltman, Shane Selzer, Un.Real, Rosemarie Fiore, Jennifer Schmidt, CAR, Kasarian Dane, Gean Moreno, Adelheid Mers, Nina Luis, Jessica Hutchins, Joseph Hardesty, Michael Linares, Bubu Negron, Jorge Zeno, Tormentula, Zac Lowing, Katy Fisher, Michael Bulka, Matt Hanner, Andy Hall, Ms. Hound.

Gardy Pérez, Cornucopia, Marcial Feliciano, Nicole Rodriguez, W & N, Herminio Rodruiguez, Jacob Marchosky, Scott Nedrelow, Felix Agosto, Dildo y Culo, Melanie Schiff, Maria Jahr, Photocopy Me, Jason Villegas, Melissa Shubeck, Rebekah Rutkoff,

Siebren Versteeg, Yuki Kimura, Pamela Jo Buchwald, Bani Abidi, Stephanie Diamond, Edra Soto, Lillian Yvonne, Joe del Pesco, Julia Hechtman, Matt Hanner, Angelica Negron, Sidney Croskery, Los Rodríguez, Cristina Tufino, Michelle Miner, Rogelio Báez, Luis Agosto, Rogelio Baez, John Neff, Critistina Tufino.

FGA ephemera

FGA’s VAULT

A selection of ephemera, digital files, video, sound work and objects (from past FGA collaborators and exhibitions) that will be permanently available for public browsing at the Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago.

as part of Artist Run Chicago
curated by Allison Peters Quinn and Britton Bertran

at the Hyde Park Art Center

through July 5, 2009

artists_run_chicago.php


Artist and Objects included in the archives:

Jorge Castro: “CLON,” limited edition cd; “2 Sides,” poster with audio cassette and keychain by Andy Hall and Mindy Rose Schwartz (released on Academy Records in 1999); "Filler" (Michael Colligan, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Andy Hall, Matthew Hanner, Steve Lacy) from Whitewalls #44 (Double grooved clear vinyl record and insert); Photocopy Me magazine (edition unknown); "FGA #6" (Kinko's made zine with reviews by Lori Waxman, Shane Selzer, Leah Finch,Nato Thompson and Michael Bulka); 19 full-color postcards from the series "GOTOPUERTORICOUSA" by collective W&N (originally distributed at THE DAMS in Photo Miami Art Fair and THE DAMS 2 at Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, Puerto Rico); "MYOB" stencil by Felix Agosto; “Obsolete Shit” limited edition booklet by Stefano Pasquini; “What Future?” Noise and Sound Art compilation from Miami and Puerto Rico, originally distributed at Circa Art Fair '08; "Repuesto Blog," zine ( with images by Terence Hannum, Matt Hanner, Jennifer Schmidt); "Crash Your Own" paper modules by LM Rodriguez; “FGA #3” (reviews by Michael Bulka, Anthony Elms, Julia Marsh, Leah Finch); “Refurbished,” soundtrack and artwork by Gardy Perez (originally for exhibition More Confortable and Better at Dogmatic); "Springtime in Minnesota," photo-essay by Kasarian Dane (originally distributed during exhibition "MAGAZINE" at The Stray Show, 2002); original Nina Luis vs Judy Ledgerwood flyer from exhibition at TBA; selection of video works by Javier Cambre, Ozzie Forbes, Carmen Olmo, Lilliam Nieves and Arnaldo Roman; and a selection of xerox flyers by Gean Moreno.





PORN at Joymore









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Magazine at the Stray Show

Nina vs Judy

The Figurative Show flyer

Kasarian Dane, Andy Hall, Adelheid Mers, Javier Cambre, Nic Frank

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Jan Estep at Sunnyday
Nina Luis paintings and Jenn Ramsey photographs
Magazine at the Stray Show

Mixed Metal Tapes distribution
More Comfortable and Better at Dogmatic

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Smart Living

Sunnyday invite






The Program 2001-2009 at HPAC


survey and archive
curated by FGA (a.k.a. Fucking Good Art)

as part of Artist Run Chicago
curated by Allison Peters Quinn and Britton Bertran

at the Hyde Park Art Center


through July 5, 2009

artists_run_chicago.php


Gerald Davis, Kirsten Stoltman, Siebren Versteeg, Mike Wolf, Sasha Earle, Joseph Hardesty, CAR/David Robbins, Zac Lowing, Jay Heikes, Maria Alos, Lori Daniels, Jennifer Rochlin, Rosemarie Fiore, Juana Valdes, Scott Nedrelow, Carlos Ruiz Ruiz, Rebekah Levine, Vince Dermody, Michael Dvorkin, Jennifer Schmidt, Adam Scott, Marc Fischer, Stefano Pasquini

The suicide of Primo Levi; AC/DC VH1 Behind the Scenes; Korn; Triumph the Comic Dog and Conan O’Brien; Comic Book Review (cable access show); 1900 House; Max Hiller talks about communism and Rock ‘n Roll; Charlton Heston speaks for the NRA; Howard Stern vs Sinead O’ Connor; Gerald jumps off a cliff; The McLaughlin Group; SNL’s find the black people in the Nicks game; 20/20


The Program is a portable video exhibition modeled after television's well-known format. Artist videos are interspersed with regular shows, home movies, advertisements and news. Nothing is related and context is replaced and replaceable at the click of a remote control.

In 2001 VHS was still the most popular and affordable way to watch movies, save data and present video art. It also seemed like the logical solution to our money troubled, artist–run, curatorial collective machine known as FGA (a.k.a FUCKING GOOD ART). Our main goal was to organize a portable and domesticated video show--one we could distribute free of charge via US mail. We also wanted to present an art exhibition that could compete against late night television, soap operas, cable and football Sunday.

The first edition of The Program was made public on a chilly Chicago night (March 31st 2001) in my two-bedroom apartment on Division Street. That night close to two- hundred people managed to share one single remote control, closely following Marc Fischer’s thoughtful essay on judgment and the democratization of video art. (Keep in mind this was way before Creative Commons and file sharing technologies)

From 2001-2004 The Program was screened in: Cueva Gallery, Milan; Sesto Senso (SUK), Italy; Art Chicago 02 (courtesy of Law Office sting at Zingmagazine’s booth); Waiting Room Gallery, Minneapolis; ONI Gallery, Boston; Bronx River Art Center, NY; Museo de las Americas, Puerto Rico; TBA Exhibition Space, Chicago. Close to four hundred copies were distributed freely in three years. All the copies were home-made with four raggedy VHS machines. People were also encouraged to make their own copies, edit alternate versions and to share them with others. Official alternate versions of The Program were edited by artist Stefano Pasquini and curator Rebekah Rutkoff.

The Program makes its final debut as part of Artist Run Chicago, curated by Allison Peters Quinn and Britton Bertran at the Hyde Park Art Center. Make sure to go there and change the channel at will.

The Program: A show about judgement where the viewer controls the clicker




headquarters of FGA at 1707 West Division, 2001


The Program at TBA Exhibition Space, Chicago


A bit out of context: the Program at Hyde Park Art Center, 2009


invite to the Program, 2001


Menu for the Program with an essay by Marc Fischer