Conjunctions
December 1, 2018–May 31, 2019
Featuring works by Brazilian artists Oskar Metsavaht, Ernesto Neto and Paulo Nazareth, Conjunctions focuses on the interrelatedness of human pathways and marks the opening of IK LAB’s second exhibition space in the center of a new trans-disciplinary site in the heart of the jungle of Tulum
During the opening ceremony in December, Roth (Eduardo Neira), founder of AZULIK and Enchanting Transformation, shared his vision and plans for the evolution of AZULIK Uh May: “At the heart of AZULIK Uh May, a school focusing on the universal language of art and craft will bring together the local Mayan population, artists in residence, international students and scholars. Through a shared experience of creativity, the school will foster and develop the sense of belonging in a community.”
Claudia Paetzold, curator and artistic director of IK LAB, commented on the transformative role of art: “Art is the expression of the fundamental human desire to find meaning. At IK LAB, we explore new ways of experiencing and creating art, mindful of the visceral connection with nature and the interrelatedness of human pathways.”
After the exploration of invisible spatial coordinates as a gateway into the metaphysical realm in Alignments, followed by a shift to the emanation of earthly creations in Configurations, IK LAB’s third exhibition, Conjunctions, reveals the intrinsic connectedness of all life forms while marking the inauguration of a second exhibition space: IK LAB Uh May, a 16-meter-high concrete and bejuco dome with a cupola crowned by the Flower of Life. The exhibition features works by Oskar Metsavaht, Paulo Nazareth and Ernesto Neto, which highlight the crossroads of the human journey.
Oskar Metsavaht’s immersive video projection Interfaces II - Man//Cosmos//Forest retraces his inner journey during a ceremony with the Ashaninka tribe. An intricate choreography of geometrical signs is superimposed onto footage from the Amazon rainforest, operating as a passageway between perception and vision. Witnesses to the fundamental union of man and nature, visitors are invited to reconnect with their innermost selves.
Paulo Nazareth’s oeuvre unfolds into an intricate network of manifold connections. In Conjunctions, he explores the link between humans and the elements — earth, water and sky. The performances documented through video and photography stage him as forming part of nature and a foreign body at once, illustrating his quest to reinvest the human presence with a fundamental significance. The interactive installation Sem Titulo: [Rede de Pescador Gente], consisting of three colorful hammocks under a canopy of salt bags, places us beneath an imaginary sea, thus reversing our viewpoint while at the same time pointing to the cycle of life through the continuous movement of water from sea to sky.
Ernesto Neto’s oeuvre explores the elemental structures of the natural and social realms, creating an immersive experience prone to redefining the boundaries between the viewer and the work, the individual and the community, as well as the material and immaterial spheres. Reaching 7 meters high, Every Tree is a Civilizing Entity embraces the visitor in an intricate canopy of delicately woven cotton crochet reaching into the crowns of the trees dwelling inside the exhibition space. On the other side of the dome, the cathedral-like structure of Healing House offers a space for recollection and meditation. The drop shaped sculptures Pray Light and Leaves Life redefine the spaces from which they emanate, whereas Life Blows Life, an ever-growing cellular network, is reminiscent of an invisible thread sustaining and guiding the meanderings of human existence.
Conjunctions is presented at IK LAB Uh May until May 31, 2019, and Configurations is on view at IK LAB Tulum until April 1, 2019. From February 9 – 10, 2019, IK LAB will host its first art weekend, which includes a talk by Gabriel Rico and a special guided tour of IK LAB Uh May, as well as various activations. 2019 will also see the successive launch of workshops for the arts and crafts school and the opening of the artist residency program.
