Ryan Gander: Grunts, hoots, whimpers, barks and screams

Helga de Alvear Museum presents the first major survey in Europe dedicated to Ryan Gander, bringing together for the first time a large number of works made over the last 20 years. Grunts, hoots, whimpers, barks and screams, curated by Helga de Alvear Museum director, Sandra Guimarães, examines the foundations of Gander’s unique vocabulary as an artist and will be on view at the Helga de Alvear Museum from December 5, 2024 to April 20, 2025.

Considered one of the most singular and formally engaged artists of our time, Ryan Gander has established an international reputation through artworks that materialise in many different forms—from sculpture to film, writing, graphic design, installation, performance and more besides.

As Sandra Guimarães points out “Ryan Gander’s practice is developed through associative thought processes that connect the everyday and the esoteric, the overlooked and the commonplace.  It involves a questioning of language and knowledge, as well as a reinvention of both the modes of appearance and the creation of an artwork. His work can be reminiscent of a puzzle, or a network with multiple connections and the fragments of an embedded story. It is ultimately a huge set of hidden clues to be deciphered, encouraging viewers to make their own associations and invent their own narrative in order to unravel the complexities staged by the artist. The selection is based on some of the most poetic and attractive works around ideas of value, authorship, mortality, language and coincidence, amongst others”.

The show devises thematic strands to include iconic installations, as well as recent and new works, specially produced for this exhibition at Helga de Alvear Museum, highlighting his unique practice from the last couple of decades.

As part of the exhibition, on December 6 and 7 of 2024 the artist carries out the public art project entitled The Find, placing thousands of special coins in different locations across the city of Cáceres and inviting us to participate in a particular “treasure hunt”. With The Find, Ryan Gander injects mystery into our everyday encounters, encouraging us to see the world around in a different way. Known for creating artworks that makes us question what we see, Ryan Gander’s practice takes many forms. The common thread? His ability to tell stories, and in this case, turn us into protagonists to wander, search, find and decide whether to keep the coins forever or share them with others.

Helga de Alvear Museum in Cáceres, Spain, was created to house Spain’s most significant private collection of international contemporary art developed over 40 years by the leading gallerist and collector, Helga de Alvear. With over 3.000 works of art by more than 500 artists spanning the five continents, it includes artworks by the most renown artists such as Francisco de Goya, Kandinsky, Thomas Hirschhorn, Dominique González-Foerster, Haegue Yang, Pierre Huyghe, Olafur Eliasson, Dora García, Louise Bourgeois or Doris Salcedo among many others. Besides de collection, the museum is developing an ambitious temporary exhibition program as well as community engagement projects. Helga de Alvear Museum is free of charge, accessible and open, and a place for experimentation, research and dissemination, where art is a point of reflection on the most topical themes of contemporary culture and society.

Curated by: Sandra Guimarães. Organized by: Helga de Alvear Museum, Cáceres.