Pending Portraits | Abraham Cruzvillegas
In this new edition of our Distance Learning Classes, we examine the work of Abraham Cruzvillegas. With his focus on precarious materiality and self-construction, influenced by Mexican muralism as well as artists like Goya and Daumier, his production reflects connections to artists such as Mario Merz and Antonio Berni.
During the one-hour Zoom session, we will delve into the origins of this artist's career, which began in prestigious graphic media, working as a political cartoonist, or monero, as they are called in his country.
We will take a moment to explore his passion for using discarded materials (a practice rooted in his childhood) and his ideas of progress linked to the industrial world, as seen in his works produced and presented in the exhibition "Espejos de México". We will also analyze his vision of beauty and unfinished works, allowing us to ask questions and open ourselves to new interpretations.
As Cruzvillegas himself writes in one of his texts: "The happiest way of any learning process is called a question. I share them in my belligerent ignorance, implying the possibility of complicity from within the institution, without marginality, without concealment, but also without pamphlets or propaganda, except when it is strictly necessary, urgent."
Luminous Voices | Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
How can one create a work that invites open public participation and, more importantly, how can one capture their interest? Rafael Lozano-Hemmer presents his piece Voice Array in the exhibition "Espejos de México", where visitors can leave a recorded message in a system that stores nearly 800 voices, which are then translated into light.
This playful and unpredictable work reconfigures itself over and over as the audience interacts with it, with their presence and their memory. Lozano-Hemmer stands out internationally as one of the leading figures in the field of participatory practices and digital media. His project is dedicated to exploring various types of interaction with audiences, where the aesthetic experience, mediated by a technological device, becomes the central focus. His large-scale installations, which use light projections and the architecture of urban public spaces, are well known.
During this class, we explore the meaning behind the installation presented in "Espejos de México", as well as some of his most relevant proposals on the international scene. We analyze the intersections between technology and intervention, reflecting on the complex and often problematic role of technology in broader social, economic, and political contexts. Additionally, we discuss the influences of Julio Cortázar’s "Hopscotch", the kinetic art of Julio Le Parc and Gyula Kosice, as well as the intersection of his work with music, theater, and film in an interdisciplinary practice.
Deconstructing the Known | Damián Ortega
One of the most spectacular works in "Espejos de México" is the completely disassembled Volkswagen Beetle by artist Damián Ortega, created in 2002. The meticulous fragmentation of this vehicle, which for decades was the official taxi of Mexico City (where locals called it "Vocho"), prompts us to reflect on the industrial processes behind the everyday objects that surround us.
In this new distance learning session, we analyze the significance of Ortega's projective approach and his interest in the work of Sol LeWitt and the Russian Constructivists, who influence his exploration of a modernity that merges mechanical and manual processes, reflecting a material and metaphorical reflection on technology and its processes.
Ortega focuses on the idea of inventing the future and the machine, starting from basic concepts such as animal traction. We will also discuss the impact of Mexican muralism and narrative drawing on his work, as well as his connection to caricature and editorial production, elements that enrich his artistic approach and reflect his unique vision.
To gain deeper insight into his vision, we will listen to segments from his talk in our auditorium during the exhibition presentations, where he shared details of his career.