ROOT less
Regina Pérez Castillo
Arturo Comas
Álvaro Escalona
Miguel Ángel Benjumea
Fernando G. Méndez
From 10 Nov to 29 Dec 2017
CATALOGUE
The disappearance of geopolitical boundaries between cultures and miscegenation are phenomena typical of the expanding markets of our time, i.e. globalisation. We live in an age of constant cultural reinterpretation that has dealt a blow to traditional civilisations and folk identities, circumstantial actors in this new framework. Rootlessness is therefore one of the most characteristic sentiments of the contemporary world and the catalyst of numerous territorial, social and political conflicts. But this process of global integration contrasts with the biased treatment of migrants by individual states. In many cases, these individuals, uprooted from their lives and cultures, are treated as persons without rights or citizenship and, in some cases, even stripped of their nationality due to the cold indifference of their own governments and international organisations.
That gap of absurd incoherence is the focus of the artistic proposals in Des ARRAIGO [ ROOT less], an exhibition project by Regina Pérez Castillo which explores this multifaceted, contradictory reality from a thought-provoking perspective. The works of artists Arturo Comas, Miguel Ángel Benjumea, Álvaro Escalona and Fernando G. Méndez speak to us directly, casting doubt on the ideals of the "global village" and exposing harsh realities such as poverty, migration and the loss of individual identity. Each of these pieces, designed specifically for the occasion, situate us on the brink of a yawning chasm of uncertainties, flooding us with questions and giving us a chance to think long and hard about current issues of far-reaching significance.
The exhibition is curated by Regina Pérez Castillo, whose essays are featured in the accompanying catalogue.
Opening: 9 november, 20.00h
Educational workshop: 25 november, 11.30-13.30h
The curatorial visit & presentation of the catague: 25 november, 13.00h
GAlLERY
TAGS
artists
Coín, Málaga, 1988
He holds a BFA from the University of Granada. A vital phase of his artistic training was the period he spent abroad in Poland as an Erasmus scholar, where he produced an art project with markedly political overtones.
He has participated in several group exhibitions, such as FACBA 2016 at the Fine Art Department of the University of Granada, and his only one-man show to date has been Greatest Hits at Galería La Empírica (Granada, 2016). Fernando co-founded the TRN initiative with Antonio Collados, which consisted in renting a flat in the La Chana district of Granada to use as an exhibition space. A large number of artists with ties to the Alonso Cano Fine Art Department became involved in this project.
Cádiz, 1982
Miguel Ángel Benjumea earned a PhD (cum laude) with his thesis on “Dissident Cartographies: Urban Phenomenologies, Maps and Artistic Transgression”, an MA in Visual Arts and Intermedia and a BFA from the Polytechnic University of Valencia. His work has gradually drifted towards and focused on the convergence of elements drawn from various cultural production strategies, such as the archive, maps and sound. His visual oeuvre reviews the historical tensions that still pervade the definition of territory. He also investigates the problem of the new geographical world disorder. Benjumea is interested in the intersections between microhistories, popular culture and world history, relationships he explores by appropriating existing cultural formats and devices that serve as a pretext for questioning certain social realities.
He has given courses and workshops on the need to rewrite geography through artistic practice and pursued his theoretical research in cities like New York, where he was a resident at the Carriage House Center for the Arts. His artwork has appeared in various publications. Benjumea has received several distinctions in competitions and has exhibited at numerous galleries and art centres across Spain.
b. Ronda, Málaga, 1985
He earned a degree in Music Composition from the Málaga Music Conservatory and continued his studies at the University School of Music, Arts and Performance of Porto, graduating with an MA in Music Theory and Composition.
Álvaro has collaborated with his brother, visual artist David Escalona, on several occasions, composing electro-acoustic pieces and sound installations for his projects, such as the video installation for the show Con olor a sangre en la nariz at Sala Condes de Gabia in Granada or Polvo de Avispa at ARCO for Fundación ONCE. His most important distinction to date was first prize in the CASA DA MÚSICA/ESMAE Composition Contest, with a piece composed for an orchestra of one hundred flutes, one hundred clarinets and one hundred saxophones. This work premiered at the World Music Day concert in the Porto Casa da Música Auditorium on 1 October 2015.
b. Seville, 1982
Arturo Comas earned his BFA from the University of Seville, and his work revolves around the idea of the absurd as a philosophy of life, the perfect state in which to question everything. His interests range from randomness and the ridiculous to insignificance and error. Although photography has comprised the bulk of his output so far, his latest works reach out to other disciplines such as installation, video and sculpture.
In recent years, his creations have been exhibited at Galería de Arte Luis Adelantado, Galería de Arte Espacio Olvera, Palma PHOTO, Galería Octubre (Castellón), Jäälphoto, Art&Breakfast, MUVIM (Valencia), Fundación Antonio Gala, the Córdoba Photography Biennial, Casa Sostoa (Málaga) and the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Genalguacil Fernando Centeno, among other venues.
Granada, 1989
She has a BA in Art History from the University of Seville and currently works as a research fellow and lecturer in the Art History Department of the University of Granada. She made her debut in art criticism in October 2011 as a fourth-year university student, writing reviews for the daily newspaper Diario de Sevilla (Joly Group) under the guidance of Juan Bosco Díaz-Urmeneta. Since then, she has made reflection on contemporary artistic creation a cornerstone of her professional activity, contributing reviews and research articles to art journals and platforms such as La Raya Verde, MAV (Mujeres y Artes Visuales/ Women & Visual Arts), PAC (Plataforma de Arte Contemporáneo/ Contemporary Art Platform) and GOYA. Revista de Arte. At the same time, she began building a career as an independent curator, organising shows for such prominent artists as Eugenio Merino and Juan Carlos Robles. She is currently part of the curatorial team of FACBA (University of Granada Contemporary Arts Festival).
Pérez Castillo's experience and knowledge of the Andalusian contemporary art scene has earned her a seat on the jury panels of several important contests and prizes, including the Daniel Vázquez Díaz Grants awarded by the Provincial Council of Huelva and the Alonso Cano Prizes sponsored by the University of Granada.
