CARLOS GARAICOA
Opening: May 28th 2005, Saturday, from 11am to 5 pm
Opening hours: From May 30th to July 22nd 2005
Monday- Friday from 10am to 7pm
Saturday from 10am to 5pm
Place: Galeria Luisa Strina
Rua Oscar Freire, 502
Informações: 005511 3088.2471 ou
candeloro@galerialuisastrina.com.br
http://www.galerialuisastrina.com.br
Galeria Luisa Strina is pleased to present the first solo exhibition of Cuban artist Carlos Garaicoa in Brazil from the 28th May.
On the first floor of the gallery the artist exhibits a new installation entitled “El Mapa del Viajero” (The Traveler’s Map). This works is inspired by writings of various travelers, explores, conquistadores and scientists who throughout History have bought us closer to unknown places. The work is an enormous “non-existent” map represented only by plastic “push pins” in the shape of buildings. These colourful pins attach pieces of paper containing texts fragments describing real or imaginary places that appear new to our eyes.
On the second floor the artist exhibits photographs and a new series of “pop-up” books (books in which 3D structures jump upon opening) containing drawings and photographs from the past 10 years as well as new projects. These books are also on the show at the MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) in Los Angeles, USA. The exhibition also contains a series of videos from 1996 to date on the third floor.
Carlos Garaicoa (Havana 1967) has participated in many important exhibitions and Biennials throughout the world, including the 26th and the 24th Bienal de São Paulo, in 2004 and 1998 respectively, Documenta 11, in Kassel, in 2002 and will participate in the Venice Biennial this year. With no formal art training he began his career in his home town in the 1990’s. He has worked with diverse materials and his work is known for its use of architectural, real as much as imaginary.
Architecture is no more than an excuse to deal with themes of a bigger order. Amongst others, the frustration at the decadent utopia of the 20th century, a willingness to rethink the urban space as a necessary space for human beings, the consideration of the imagination as an alternative to reality and to the definitive presence of the fiction throughout the course of History. Garaicoa’s work is clearly centred within a Cuban context but at the same time fits into a global situation.
“One of the propositions of my work is to extract the city’s secret and to expose it. Moreover setting up this secret as a critical discourse about contemporary society has become necessary to give shape to my work and which makes it exist, between fiction and the void of our fragmented memory”, explains the artist.
Carlos Garaicoa’s work is the big metaphor for collapse.
For further information, please contact Cristina Candeloro: t. 55 11 3088-2471 ou candeloro@galerialuisastrina.com.br
Upcoming exhibition: Fernanda Gomes, from August 02nd to September 02nd 2005.
