Casino
May 21–September 25, 2016
Casino is the first solo exhibition in Sweden by Damián Ortega. In his work he explores the idea of sculpture through the use of everyday objects, subverting their meaning. The exhibition offers a sweeping overview of Ortega’s work, with sculptures, installations, performances and films given a unique touch by the interaction between the works and the space of Malmö Konsthall.
At the centre of the show is the Beetle Trilogy, one of Ortega’s most momentous works, in the form of an ”epic” tale of the Volkswagen Beetle. A prominent characteristic of his work is the use of common or recycled materials, such as tools and implements, which he reworks and which highlights his interest in production systems, processes of transforming matter, and entropy. In his practice, Ortega alters and deconstructs objects, building structures that create a dialogue between matter and form, action and thought. His oeuvre is permeated by a very personal and subtle sense of humour, which gives both meaning and originality to the most mundane things, in order to convey even the most challenging issues in a light-hearted manner.
Damián Ortega was born in Mexico City in 1967. Many institutions have presented solo exhibitions of his work, including the ICA in Philadelphia (2002), Tate Modern in London (2005), Centre Pompidou in Paris (2008) and MAM in Rio de Janeiro (2015). He has twice taken part in the Venice Biennale (2003, 2013); and has exhibited at the 4th Berlin Biennale and the 27th São Paulo Biennial (2006), the 11th Havana Biennial (2012) and the 12th Sharjah Biennial (2015).
The exhibition is realised by Malmö Konsthall in collaboration with Pirelli HangarBicocca, Milan, and curated by Vicente Todolí.
