Carles Congost: Say Im your number one

The Showcase Project emerges as another project apart from the exhibition halls of the museum. This new space, composed of two grand glass cases that welcome the public to the entrance of the museum, stems from the idea of a display window of proposals closely related to graphic design, fashion, music, design or other industries and arts that are inscribed within the current contemporary production.

As such, without a strict chronology such as in Laboratorio 987 or in the main exhibition halls, this project will be developed with a temporality that is taken from the circumstances and needs of the museum itself. The program of this project will feature artists from all fields, but at the same time they are artists, designers or persons from other fields with a national and international trajectory.

MUSAC presents Say I´m Your Number One, solo book and installation by artist Carles Congost under the Showcase Project

Venue: Showcase Project, MUSAC Dates: May 19th & September 2nd, 2007

Carles Congost, one of the artist best represented in the MUSAC Collection, is behind the dual project Say I´m Your Number One, which combines a solo book under the same title co-published by MUSAC and ACTAR, and an installation for the Showcase Project (Showcases). Congost tells the story of his pop group The Congosound through a photo-novel created especially for the book and a sophisticated and caustic display that spills the beans on their new status as a franchise band.

The book Say I´m Your Number One can be seen both as a monographic work covering Carles Congost´s career over more than ten years (1995 & 2007), or as an artist´s book, thanks to Congost´s own involvement in collaboration with design collective VASAVA (frequent contributors to his work) and Agustín Pérez Rubio, MUSAC´s editor for the work. This book embarks MUSAC on a new editorial path where it shall put the focus on artists held in the museum´s collection, without the need to back the project with an exhibition.

The 240-page publication shall be structured in an original two-part division. The first will focus on the artist´s works and words, whereas the second shall present an in-depth analysis of Congost´s production by art and film critics.

The first part of the book begins with a subjective portrait of the artist executed through a collage of images capturing the Congost universe: identity, music, clubbing, pop aesthetics, etc. The portrait takes on a written form through an interview with Agustín Pérez Rubio, where Congost talks in the first person about his conception of art, his work and his most recent project. The portrait is rounded off with a comprehensive and structured compendium of photographs, videos and installations from 1995 to the present. An ad hoc photo-novel connects the publication with the artist´s intervention under the Showcase Project.

The second part of the book explores the analytical corpus with three essays considering the artist´s work from different approaches. Catalan critic and curator Manel Clot adopts a historical perspective and focuses on music as the staring point of Congost´s career. Film critic JesÚs Palacios delves into the relationship established between Congost´s work and TV and film subgenres, including B-series, horror movies or teen productions. Chus Martínez, curator and director of the Frankfort Kunstverein, looks into the image as - artistâ€? that Carles Congost has been keen to project throughout his work, as a critical and conceptual approach tothe art world.

The publication is completed with a free CD by The Congosound, the artist´s electronic band with musician Vicent Fibla, under the title ‘Say She´s Your Number One & Jessie´s best-. The album is a compilation of the group´s recordings with Jessie, a peculiar muse to the Barcelona club scene who was closely involved in the artist´s early video productions.

The Congosound were active in Barcelona´s electronic renaissance after the 1992 Olympics. At a time when a great many labels and festivals were flourishing in the wake of the SONAR phenomenon, The Congosound were mixing bands like Fangoria, Astrud or Manta Ray and contributing songs to a number of select electronic compilations. After publishing a 12â€? ‘Jessie´s Theme´ (1998) and CD album ‘Jackson´ (2002), the group was invited to play at SONAR ´02, where they displayed their very personal vision of live performance based on powerful visual stimulation and pre-recorded sound.

The CD includes the new song ‘Say I´m Your Number One´, recorded on occasion of the group´s recent reunion. The track is also reviewed by the prestigious musician finn Luomo.

Publication technical details Title: Say I´m Your Number One Published by: ACTAR, MUSAC Texts: Manel Clot, JesÚs Palacios, Chus Martínez and Agustín Pérez Rubio Pages: 240 Languages: Spanish / English CD: Say She´s Your Number One & Jessie´s best-

The installation for Showcase Project Carles Congost´s project for Showcases is scheduled simultaneously to the publication of the book Say I´m Your Number One. The first showcase will display the photo-novel included in the book: a story about the members´ inability to meet up to their commitments as a band, underperforming at their artistic and musical engagements. The Congosound story, approached as a variation on a musical biopic, delves into the issues surrounding musical production in our time, while at the same time suggesting a number of thoughts on teamwork, the passage of time and existential crises when facing up to maturity. The show of the photo-novel in the showcase is the result of the co-production with the Espai Zer01 in Olot (Girona).

The Congosound is presented at MUSAC as an industrial and dehumanized prototype, churning out simultaneous concerts based on a trademark and free from the constraints of any of the member´s agendas. ‘The Congosound´s Live Prototype´ was developed by the artist in collaboration with industrial designer Yaya Tur, who also executed the work. Once again, The Congosound´s sound and image remains intact thanks to an electronic artefact exhibited in the MUSAC lobby next to the two showcases.

The second showcase will display a collection of designs, drawings, items, briefs, manuals and costumes generated throughout the ‘Congosound`s Live Prototype´ creation process. On 19 May 2007 MUSAC will enjoy the honour of hosting The Congosound´s first trial concert, now duly transformed into franchise, with the activation of ‘The Congosound´s Live Prototype´.

Carles Congost. Biography Born in Olot (Girona) in 1970, he lives and works in Barcelona. He has shown his work at Espai 13/ Fundació Miró, Barcelona; Espacio Uno/ MNCARS, Madrid; Zona Emergente/ CAAC, Seville; Fundación Bilbao Arte; Bilbao; Centre d`Art Santa MÃnica, Barcelona; Galería Luis Adelantado, Valencia; Arte Ricambi, Verona (Italy). He has also taken part in group shows at MARCO, Vigo; Palau de la Virreina, Barcelona; EACC, Castelló; CGAC, Santiago de Compostela; Transmission Gallery, Glasgow; Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin; f a projects, London; Palais de Tokyo, Paris; PS1 MOMA, New York and IMMA, Dublin.

Carles Congost: Say I'm your number one
Kurator: Agustin Perez Rubio