Biography
I was born in Cordoba City in 1974. Overly dramatic par excellence. While in Córdoba, I organized, together with Simbad Seguí, Paula La Serna and Marcelo Nucenovich, “Mundo Mix I, II, III”, electronic music and contemporary art events in the Chateau Carreras, in 1998. For 5 years I had, with some other friends, an atélier called Familia Lovera, next to the Mercado de Abasto (Supply market), a fascinating place if anything. I worked at the Culture Department of the Municipality of Córdoba, and graduated, in 2001, as a Painting Bachelor. Since then, I’ve insistently been doing art actions. By the end of 2001 we ended up with the atélier and I was fired from my job. Quite fed up I arrived at Buenos Aires to spend the Easter, back in 2002, but somehow I went on staying here in BA, and taking part in things like Estudio Abierto, at the Abasto, Portuniol, I was invited by María Rosa Andreotti and Juan Carlos Romero of FM La Tribu, I did house performances, took part in an exhibition called “Interiores” (Interiors), curated by Rodrigo Alonso, did some art actions back at my place, I went to Mendoza and Venezuela, a place worth to visit. Next to Gabriel Baggio and Carolina Katz we did “Desde el Alma” (From the Soul), a unique experience by the way. And I always present stuff back in Córdoba, I took theater classes with Julio Chávez, participated in seminars, the CC Rojas fellowship, and went on staying up to this date.
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.
At this moment, I choose "Misión Tortuga Laúd" (Turtle Lute Mission). It is the result of a phone call I received, from a NGO, Karumbe, asking me if could take a satellite transmitter from Buenos Aires to Montevideo in less that 24 hours, to be put onto a sea turtle that was found in Montevideo's shores. I did it; as a result of such a mission I prepared a conference about it. Since I didn't count with enough documentation as to impart such a conference, I was forced to come up with a power point consisting only of headings, and in which I told, in front of a live audience, the contents of each of them. This was pretty confusing. The viewer could clearly think that he was being deceived, since there was no evidence that such a deed actually took place. However, as half of the action had passed, there are pictures that show the last stage of the mission, the set up of the satellite transmitter onto the turtle, and the emails confirming its location. It's a 15-minute performance, and it has the appearance of being a wildlife preservation conference.
2. In general terms, how would you suggest to approach your work?
I always reccomend having eaten a few snacks and drank a vermouth earlier on. I hate having my basic needs unresolved when it comes to enjoying or contemplating any work of art.
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?
Tradition? I find it difficult to think of it like that.
There're so many branches as there're possibilities. Choosing just one would be denying the others, but if what is wanted is to cut distances short, well here we go. As for previous generations I have to say I feel a tremendous seduction towards the Clark, Pape and Meireles Brasilian trio, also the German expressionists, the Geometric artists, Futurists and their declamatory statements, no matter how incorrect they might've been, the Bauhaus theater and its costumes, Marcel Duchamp, Gordon Matta Clark, Greco, and the list goes on...
If we're talking about the specific field of performance I've to mention: Abramovich -alone, and with Ullay-, Chris Burden, Coco Fusco when written, the simpleness of Adrian Piper, German artist Gregor Schneider, who's been transforming his home for the last 16 years, building and rebuilding walls and rooms inside rooms, Venezuelan artist Alexander Gergel, African Robin Rhode, Mexican Lorena Wolffer...
If we're talking about contemporary references, I think they'd be all of those who use their sense of humour, whether it's to laugh or to criticize, Francis Alys, Heidy Kumao, Pierrick Sorrin, among others using stories like Janet Cardiff, Sophie Calle...
As for Argentina, I'm interest, dialogue and find empathy with artists as different as Baggio, Passolini, Sinclair, Katz, Peisino, Larrambebere, Millán, Dobarro, Mangiante, Andreotti, Lindner, C. Martínez, Chachio and Giannone, Aguiar, El Halli Obeid, Fazzolari, Lancelotti, Susana Dragotta, Fernando García Delgado, among others.
4. Choose works or exhibitions from the last ten or fifteen years which in your opinion were very significant and explain why
Here there're many. Generally, those exhibitions or experiences that move us away from institutions and closer to life. Like "Tertulia" (Gathering) by Molinari/Varchausky at the Recoleta Cemetery, a strong experience. There, in the middle of the cemetery, at night, doing a guided, clear and specific tour among tombes, mausoleums of those people who've made history. What interested me the most was one somebody asked who was the person buried there, and between all of us there, a new oral tale on Argentine history was unfolded.
"Provisorio permanente" (Temporary Permanent) at "La Casa", and I say it like that for I don't remember its name. From beginning to end I felt moved and, somehow, influenced.
"El Gran Vidio de Aguirre" (Aguirre's greater glass), by Marcela Sinclair, or experiences such as "La Mudadora", etc.
If we're talking about institutions, I succumbed to retrospectives such as: Federico Manuel Peralta Ramos at MAMBA, Jesús Rafael Soto in Proa, Pablo Suárez and Liliana Porter at the CC Recoleta, etc. I enjoy retrospectives, they present a totalness, all of those things that were incomplete and dispersed inside of me.
5. What tendencies or groupings from common elements do you see in argentine art of the last ten or fifteen years?
I consider it very important to mention what 's going on now with the artists and their fees . Situations such as those stated by the group of artists participating in Estudio Abierto, OSTINATO, curated by Valeria González, where next to each work there was a sign that read: "Materials and production for this work were payed by Estudio Abierto. The artists worked with no fees".
Work dignifies, such as its payment. Otherwise it's not work, it's love (of course it's love!) and that's how institutions in Buenos Aires work, and that's how we artists have to work with the institutions. How lovely!
