THE WORLD TRAPPED IN THE SELF (MIRRORS FOR WINDOWS)
25–29 May 2011
Stefan Brüggemann at Mies van der Rohe Pavilion in Barcelona
Curated by Laurent Fiévet and Silvia Guerra
In collaboration with Swab and the Mies van der Rohe Foundation and with the kind help of Séverine Waelchli from Yvon Lambert Gallery (Paris).
“Stefan Brüggemann—facing up to the intimidating challenge of showing in Barcelona’s Mies van der Rohe Pavilion—follows the famous maxims less is more and the God is in the details. In order to extol the virtues of the architecture, he has chosen an approach as minimalist as it is radical: replacing the three windows of the principle façade with reflective surfaces. With this choice, the artist revisits the relationship between darkness and transparency in architecture by simultaneously shattering the structure of the façade and rendering it more concrete. The artist accomplishes this separation by blocking light inside the building and rejecting the outdoor light. He enacts a new spatial experiment that turns upside down the notion of free circulation as well as the aesthetic and philosophical principles at the heart of this architecture.”
—Laurent Fiévet
“When the World looks in the mirror does it see perfection? It may not be blind to its perfection, but perfection is boring. The World’s perfection is its final delusion: man has designed another world richer and more complete than this world and this new one, like the first, is already burning up under the sun. Through Stefan Brüggemann’s simple material alterations to Barcelona’s Mies van der Rohe Pavilion, our gaze is held, captivated, by its own image—like a metaphor for this contemporary world.
The sociologist Bruno Latour deemed that we were never modern, but Brüggemann pushes us to be hypermodern. We must march to the rhythm of our time.”
—Silvia Guerra
Stefan Brüggemann (born in Mexico City in 1975) lives and works in London and in Mexico City. His work associates a conceptual practice with a raw attitude and criticism that simultaneously calls into question his own approach while it reflects on the present societal context. Even if the artist works principally with text, using the materials of vinyl and neon lights, he explores a wide array of mediums, ranging from video, to painting and drawing. The works of Stefan Brüggemann draw their meaning from a strange combination of philosophical concepts and popular imagery, often inspired by punk ideals and attitudes (nonconformism, provocation, and cynicism), which emerge from tautological expressions.
He recently exhibited at the Kunsthalle in Bern, Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Yvon Lambert Gallery in Paris, the Galeria Parra & Romero in Madrid, Bass Museum in Miami, Schirn Kunsthalle in Frankfort and Museum of Contemporary Art in Cincinnati.
Lab’Bel
Created in spring 2010, Lab’Bel (Laboratoire Artistique du Groupe Bel) is committed to supporting contemporary art, rendering it accessible and available to the widest public in a way that reflects the core values of the international Food Company Bel Group.
Lab’Bel supports contemporary art, its production and its distribution while also building a collection of works made after 2000. Laurent Fiévet is its Director and Silvia Guerra its Art Director. Lab’Bel’s actions display elements of humor, re-appropriation, and impertinence.
On the occasion of its first international commitment, Lab’Bel was entrusted with a “carte blanche” by SWAB Contemporary Art Fair in Barcelona. In response, Lab’Bel developed a multifaceted inquiry into the position of the artist and curates 6 solo projects at the fair, the group show, Art for Life / Art for Living and a round table at CCCB with: Alessio Antoniolli (Gasworks), Tere Badia (Hangar) and Christian Merlhiot (the Pavilion of Palais de Tokyo).
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