Biography
He was born in Rosario, Argentina.
He studied art in the National University of Rosario, during this time he received a grant for artistic production.
He returned to the University as an assistant professor in sculpture class and he was founder member of La Vaca and Rozarte groups, both of which were created during the beginning of Argentinian democracy.
After leaving Argentina in 1990, he travelled trough Europe and America. More than 50 exhibitions were the result of his interaction with other artists that he met during his trip. He worked in “(Wrapping –título original de la obra?) The Reichstag”, Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s project in Berlin, Germany; and he assisted Rob Miller in the production of a new subway station mural in Hollywood, U.S.A.
He lives in the City of London since 1999 and he is currently working on his new project, a series of mosaics based in the topic of finance.
His works are part of Castagnino Museum –macro collection (Rosario) since 2007.
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.
New York New Christ is a work from 1990, it was part of 0 Hour exhibition at Argentinian Library of Rosario.
At that time I was producing rationalist altars with found materials that were later painted. NYNC is an object of 1.20 x 60 x 5 cm; in the center of the opened upper half there’s a Christ’s crown made of rusty wire, the lower part is covered with a transparent glass and contains little white feathers, in its center 3 nails connect the upper part with the lower part of the work. The piece represents the need to believe in something, even if it is in a fake or illusionary god. Those were times where we had to believe in something in order to keep on surviving. Almost everything in the artwork is very white, very ethereal. Our physical pain and our mortal being are present -because in the end this is what we are-. There is also a possibility that we have: the ability to change things in this world. All of these lead into an experience of consciousness about our social, economic and artistic values.
2. In general terms, how would you suggest to approach your work?
Every person can read my work from different interpretation points, I would rather not interrupt this experience with my suggestions.
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?
If I have to relate my work with the national or international artistic field, I would say that my work relates with our contemporary creative needs and with historical connections with Roman, Byzantine and Mexican art. It would be very long to enumerate the artists that, for different reasons that I wouldn’t want to elaborate on, are interesting to me: Arman, Duchamp, Lucio Fontana, Richard Hamilton, Yves Klein, Leonardo, Malevich, Mondrian, Barnett Newman, Roman Opalka y Andy Warhol.
4. Choose works or exhibitions from the last ten or fifteen years which in your opinion were very significant and explain why
Juan Pablo Renzi. June of 1998, Spanish Park Cultural Center, Rosario.
I chose Renzi’s exhibition because it was a highly significant event, not only aesthetically but conceptually as well. This retrospective has clearly showed the production process of an artist that knew how to reflect the society in every historical moment of his life. He was an artist that was present in a clear, innovative and intelligent way, always reflecting about art history and constantly thinking the reality where he was immersed in an analytical way.
One could experience again the avant-garde by seeing his works of the tunnels. This was a show that shed light to every step of Renzi’s life, as an artist and with his creative mind he raised a flag for all of us to follow as an example.
