BrilliantIdeasEpisode#13: AbrahamCruzvillegas Bringinglifetonatureandobjects
An architectural background Abraham Cruzvillegas is Mexico's quintessential conceptual artist whose Turbine Hall is the world's most spacious installation venue, and befitting it, works are often based on his architectural studies. He believes that the installation is incredibly large in scale, and many have referenced it as architecture is linked to a person's identity, further expanding to the person's Mega Art. Cruzvillegas previously stated that this exhibition would be an town, city, and nation, revealing the connection between people. Selected exhaustive summary of the art world he presented through previous works.
fortheinauguralhyundaicommissionfortheturbinehallattatemodern, AbrahamCruzvillegaspresentsanewlarge-scaleinstallation. InthethirteenthepisodeofBrilliantIdeaspresentedbyBloombergand Hyundai,readersareinvitedtoexperienceAbrahamCruzvillegas'unique worldofart,beginningwithhisnewinstallationwork. Self-constructedidentity AbrahamCruzvillegaswasborninAjusco,adistrictinthesouthofMexico Citywithalandscapeofvolcanicrock.Itwasthereinhishometownthatthe artistacquiredanimportantaspectofhiswork.theartist'sparentsmovedto AjuscoaftertheMexicanoilboommaderuralfarmingdifficult.Ajuscowas notincludedintheurbandevelopmentprojectatthetime,andwaslittle morethanawasteland.tosurvivetheharshenvironment,theyhadtobuild theirownhome,withthehelpofthevillagecommunity.thecommunity helpedoneanotherwithbuildinghomes,constructingrooms,altering existingones,fixingroofs.thecommunitydidnotreceivegovernment supportnorwasanyonewealthy,andhadtorelyonwhatevermaterialsthey couldfindaroundthecommunity.bricks,discardedtimber,andplastic materialsofdifferentsizes,andevenpaintcanswereusedtoconstructliving spaces,builtbythevoluntaryparticipationofthevillagepeople.throughthe processofconstruction,uselessmaterialsbecomeuseful,transformedinto objectsthatembodythecommunity'sindependenceandidentity.the voluntaryandparticipatoryattitudeofthecommunitybecamearallying pointforregionaldevelopmentandtheirfightagainstgovernment corruption,creatingclosecommunitytiesandgraduallymakingthedistricta betterplacetolive.
TheparticularcircumstancesofhishometownmovedCruzvillegasto introducetheideaof self-construction(auto-construcción),referencingthe voluntarybuildingofhishomecommunityinajusco.hisinstallationsare comprisedofwastematerialsandgarbagethathefindsneartheplaceof exhibition,combinedintoanewcontextastheconditionrequires.the importantthingistoseetheintrinsicvalue,astheartistdoes,inthingsthat peoplemightthinkasdefunctandofnofurthervalue.themomentone assumesanobjecttobewaste,itbecomesalifelessobjecttobethrown away.however,theartistwishestodiffer.hebelievesallobjectsretaina certainvitalityforalltime.hegivesnewlifetomaterialsthroughhisown consciouschoiceofattitudetoobjectsthatwereconsideredexpired accordingtoanexternalwillofsocialsystemsandcommonbelief. Thoughtssproutfrombareground Cruzvillegas'exhibitionatTateModern'sTurbineHallkeepscoursewithhis pastworksofcontextualizing'found'objects.auniqueaspectofthis exhibitionisthattheprimarymaterialisdirt.inthesameveinofbringing foundmaterialsintoanewcontextandgivingthemasaworkofart, Cruzvillegashasinvokedamaterialthatisseeminglyjustlumpsofearthto observewhatnewvaluesandmessagesitmaysprout. Thelarge-scaleinstallationwhichmakesfulluseofTurbineHall,EmptyLot (2015)maybedescribedasalargetriangularstructurereminiscentofabow onaship,andcanbeviewedfromaboveorbelowtheplatform.underneath theplatforms,thesupportingscaffoldingpresentasturdygeometric architecture.abovethestructure,agridof240triangularwoodenplanters withatotal23tonsofsoilaregeometricallyorganized,interspersedwith grow-lightsthattheartistmadehimself.thematerialsusedforthelighting fixtureswerealsocollectedfromwaste,byrequesttothecuratorsandother colleagueswhoparticipatedintheinstallationproject.longrods,bathroom door,andotherseeminglyunrelatedobjectswereusedtocreatelight fixtures.thesoilintheplantersweresourcedfromseveraldifferentparks
andgardensaroundlondon.bypreservingthenaturalenvironmentofwhere hesourcedthesoil,cruzvillegasallowednaturetocarryonitsnaturalorder ofthings.theartistawaitsanoccurrencetocomefromthesoil,while providinglightingandhydration.thevisitorsalsoawait.thewaitingistosee whetherornotsomethingwillhappen. Anothercharacteristicaboutthisinstallationworkisthatitisanongoing process.bornonthefirstdayofexhibition,itwillbecompleteonlyonthe lastdayofexhibition.anyawaitedhappeningsofeventsorcuriouslifewill onlybecompletewhentheexhibitionisconcluded.theartistshareshis enjoymentofbeginningthings.tohim,"abeginningmeanslearningthe thingsnecessaryforthebeginningtohappen.inthefaceofdangerand distress,wecontinuetolearn.""whenbeginningsomething,assumingprior knowledgeisverydangerous.ineedtobeginwithacleanslate."theartist showsanattitudeofbeginningfreeofpastperceptionsandapproaching withanobservantgazetowardsmeaningsthatmaytranspirefromthe clearedslate.inotherwords,thisexhibitionstemsfromthequestionof "whatwillhappen?",andoncetheexhibitionisconcluded,allwhoobserved theinstallation,beittheartisthimself,curators,orvisitors,allwill contemplateexperiences,thoughts,andideals. Cruzvillegasassertsthatartistsarenotcreators.Theymerelyrebuildand reconstruct,rearrangingwhatalreadyexists.inthewaythatwastematerials changeandnewstoriessproutoutfromthesoil,energyisneverlost,only transformed.inthiscase,itistheartist'spositiveenergythatisreconstructed throughhisworks. withartinpost
Abraham Cruzvillegas <Blind Self Portrait as a Post-Thatcherite Deaf Lemon Head. For 'K.M.'> 2011 Divers papiers, peinture acrylique, épingles 1410 x 346 cm / 555 x 136 2/8 inches Exhibition view at Modern Art Oxford 2011 Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Chantal Crousel, Paris.
Profile AndrewDunkley TATE2015 AbrahamCruzvillegasisaconceptualartistwhowasborninMexicoCityin 1968.Hemajoredinphilosophy,paintingandpedagogyatNational AutonomousUniversityofMexicoandwasaprofessoratthesameuniversity. Hecreatesinstallationsusingabandoned,forgottenanduselessobjectslike garbage.theimportantaspectinhisworksisthathe reuses theobjects. Throughhisworkprocess,thoseabandonedobjectsbecomeunfamiliar structures,sowecantakeawaytheoriginalmeaning.heisinfluencedbythe term autoconstrucción(self-construction) whichreferstothecultureof peoplewhomigratedinthe1960sfromruralareastometropolitanmexico City.Thisgeneration,whichincludedCruzvillegas ownparents,developed housesandtheircommunitymainlythroughrecyclingandadaptationof foundmaterials.mexicans independentandopen-mindedattitudewhen acceptingnewlydiscoveredobjectshasbeenaninspirationandisan importantmotifforcruzvillegas.