Biography
Lila Siegrist, born in Rosario, 1976.
She makes photos and videos documentaries of fictitious scenes.
She has participated in workshops by Raul D'Amelio, Gumier Maier, El Levante, Training Scholarship Antorchas Foundation, Intercampo and the Telefónica Foundation.
In 2007 performs multimedia training at the ICP New York, USA (Grant Municipality of Rosario, Perfectionning Training abroad).
2008 - "Black Box / White Cube," a selection of videos, ArteBA.
"Bleff" Solo exhibition at the Centro Cultural Rojas.
"Five Argentine from here and there," Slaughterhouse Cultural Center of Huesca, Spain
2007 - "Avatar in Abate" solo exhibition at Daniel Abate Galeria-Bs-As
Pinta - New York - USA
2nd Prize Petrobras Bs.As. Photo 2007
Resplanadores, CCR, Buenos Aires
Biennial of Video and New Media Santiago de Chile
Cultural Chandón, Neuquén
2006-Receives the first mention of the jury at the Cultural Chandón and at the National Hall, Museum Juan B. Castagnino,
2005 - Foto Arte Brasilia, Brazil and the Bolivarian Dream, Casa La Moneda, Santiago de Chile-Chile and the Australian Center for Moving Image (ACMI) - Melbourne-Australia, Buenos Aires Photo, Daniel Abate Galeria Cultural Chandon.
2003-1 º Prize Project A, Rosario Artist Prize at the Salón Nacional de Rosario.
2002 - Exhibits his work at Curriculm 0, Ruth Benzacar Gallery
2000 – Hall of Santa Fe, Mention.
Since 1997 he has participated in collective and solo showings.
Her work is part of the Macro / Castagnino collection since 2003, the project Snowball and private collections in Argentina and abroad.
Vision of art
1. Choose a work that represents you, describe it in relation to its format and materiality, its relation with time and space, its style and theme; detail its production process.
I choose a work that I'm building right now, small stages or sub-worlds. Some are called "silent" and other "special affections". Micro fiction inside my workshop, which later turn out to be photos or videos. The relationship with the space or time might be very confusing, especially by the degree of fiction or re-fictionality* that these works stimulate. By this I mean that in all these images there are fictions, accidental and caused facts amalgamated into one same space. In the moments before and subsequent to my works I find the “steak salt”. And as to this point, I find successful a phrase of Frederic Beigbeder’s book Windows on the World which says: "Smoking force us to go out of buildings before they explode”. Thus, images subversive to the alleged are filtered. And the timelessness of the photographic time appears. Inventing micro fictions and re-placing them into the space of my workshop is a constitutive element of what I do. It extends and stays in my retina. Without doubt: reflecting on how to see, what to see at and what do you do with what you see, thinking the work as an observed being, that communicates, I understand that I do what I wish to see.
Whimsically I look and built from and for what I look. Then, what was collected into walks and molds catalyzes into a single space (thus gestating new micro fictions = re-fictionalizations). Everything comes from my manipulated and frequent clumsiness. (*) High Lila neologism dating from three previous projects: 2005: Pekinese and Sausages: Pictures of others in a new adventure. Photo Casting of Pekinese dogs and sausages. 2003-2004:
Convite_Convido: appearances at family parties. A pony, a yama or pororero (or called pochoclero) at my family birthdays for over a year. Dentrecasa Domínguez. 2003: Pictures and cocktail at the living room of my grandmother's house.
2. In general terms, how would you suggest to approach your work?
The way to read my work, I think, could be reached out by the sensitive immediacy of the matter. So I limit myself, if necessary, saying: "Let's watch a video that lasts 4 minutes..." And not much else. I could also describe an extensive protocol with instructional components of each scene, but not: let everything flow out of the speech’s suspiciousness and the available means of my nearby geography, although ritualizing each scene regarding its construction.
3. In reference to your work and your position in the national and international art fields, what tradition do you recognize yourself in? Who are your contemporary referents? What artists of previous generations are of interest to you?
I am not clear about my position within the artistic field, neither in my city or my state, much less at a national or international level. Nor about traditions ... (¿uses?, "Practices?," Usages?, "Routines?," Habits?, "Procedures?," Styles?). I could say that there are images that come from some walks or readings that have kindly moved me. As the work of different artists: Suarez, Bony and Porter. As artists from abroad: Canadian Sandy Skoglund, Brazilian Caio Reisewitz and the German Thomas Demand. And I think Lorena Cardona's work, especially one of her latest projects. I do not know if I prefer visual artists, I usually prefer pictures of texts like those of Chuck Palahniuk, Martín Prieto, Osvaldo Lamborghini, John L. Ortiz, Capote and Salinger. A mixed cocktail of varied prints. Ah! I forgot a Brazilian artist who grates on my hair: Brigida Baltar. Topacio Fresh is also a HAPPY artist! As for all the other things that one can have as references would be nice to mention the freshness and open-mindedness of Joan (5 years) and Rosendo (3 years).
4. Choose works or exhibitions from the last ten or fifteen years which in your opinion were very significant and explain why
Renzi’s retrospective at the Spanish Park Cultural Center of Rosario, 7 or 8 years ago. Pangs of Daniel Garcia at the Castagnino. Emilia Bertola at the Museum of the City in Rosario and its publication (amazing book) in 2005. And undoubtedly, the exhibition of Porter at the Recoleta, late 2003. Another showing that was titled Julio Macro at Macro Rosario museum curated by Pablo Montini last year, it was so accurate and very distinguished. I assembly of Warhol’s stills at Malba was just great, September 2005. Augusto Schiavoni at Castagnino curated by Mary Spinelli. Hoy Vital Gym at Pasaje Pam by Román Vitali (Rosario), as well as his last showing at Ruth Benzacar where he exhibited three great works: the clown costume, visual field and the Pink Panther.
5. What tendencies or groupings from common elements do you see in argentine art of the last ten or fifteen years?
The answer to this question is actually a problem because I do not have enough information to answer it. And even if I had it, I would give answers still with major problems. I would always pull off political and civil adhesions of certain works.