PAPEL (PAPER)

“When you look at this sheet of paper, you think it belongs to the realm of being. There was a time that it came into existence, a moment in the factory it became a sheet of paper. But before the sheet of paper was born, was it nothing? Before it was recognizable as a sheet of paper, it must have been something else—a tree, a branch, sunshine, clouds, the earth. In its former life, the sheet of paper was all these things.” Vietnamese Buddhist Thich Nhat Hanh

Casas Riegner is proud to present the opening of its last exhibition of the year “Papel”(Paper), a group show featuring national and international artists like Antonio Caro, Johanna Calle, Luis Roldan, Rosemberg Sandoval, Victor Robledo, Rodrigo Echeverri, Mateo Lopez, Maximo Florez, Juan Manuel Ramirez, Eugenio Espinoza (Venezuela), Frances Trombly(United States), Leyden-Rodriguez Casanova (Cuba,United States), Luis Lizardo (Venezuela), Liliana Porter (Argentina), and Ester Partegas (Spain), amongst others.

Paper— an everyday-use substance made from natural fibers—has been since its invention, one of the most widely used materials for the expression of human thought. Due to its low value and high availability, paper circulates endlessly thereby absorbing marks and recording all types of events; this continuous distribution has granted it a significant popular power.

Within the fine arts context, paper has usually been thought of as the least valuable material when compared to others; this is due to its physical properties—its subtlety, finesse, delicateness— and its social function; paper has traditionally been thought of as an ordinary, common, universal and inexpensive product. In addition, paper’s surface has generally been understood as a plane or space destined for the experimentation and expression of one’s thoughts and imagination; paper has rarely been thought of as the foundation of a finished work of art. Despite paper’s apparent insignificance as a material, a paradoxical phenomenon occurs within the art context; once the artist intervenes on the surface of a sheet of paper, the material acquires a special importance consequently becoming irreplaceable and valuable.

As suggested by its title, the exhibition “Papel (Paper)” is a reflection on the material as artistic medium or support, which attempts to enhance paper’s importance as a byproduct of a living being: a tree. Moreover, the exhibition attempts to demonstrate that works on paper are increasingly gaining more strength and popularity within the contemporary art world; everyday more and more artists are beginning to explore the versatility of paper be it through the techniques of drawing and sculpture, or by incorporating the material into their works to make these more compelling. Despite the formal and conceptual variety of the works presented in the show, the spectator will find a commonality; the works are all based on paper, and have been carefully selected for the purpose of inciting reflections of social, political, economic, and cultural nature.

For instance Eugenio Espinoza’s work as defined by him is a type of “minimalismo criollo” ; the work comprises sheets of paper of a humble and somewhat aged quality which make the material stand out, thus attempting to make visible that which is generally invisible. Espinoza avoided destroying the character of the material by leaving the surface of the paper blank; the surface is here understood as mere space. Frances Trombly’s installation titled “Paper Wal”l consists of 50 hand woven sheets in fabric, that act as a type of trompe l’ oeil, through which the artist investigates the idea of communicating. The artist’s unwillingness to fill the pages points to one’s incapability of expressing something that needs to be said but not quite knowing how to. The emptiness of the pages is also an indication of the artist’s desire to communicate with the viewer by means of a more personal and intimate language. Moreover, the slow, careful and laborious process implicit in the act of weaving alludes to the manual processing of paper in which the tactile perception of the organic material is of utmost importance. By fisting the graphite pencil, Rosemberg Sandoval creates drawings in which he obsessively and effectively exhumes twentieth century masters like Picasso, Duchamp, Warhol, and Grippo. The drawings are treated as maps or sketches made into a works of art, objects, images, or a collection of preliminary studies. Luis Roldan´s Promenadas (Promenades) as the title suggests, are drawings that have been brought into existence by carefully placing re-collected fragments of paper found by the artist while strolling down the streets of New York; in superimposing remains of bubblegum-wrappers or water bottle labels on blank pieces of paper, the artist is inciting the viewer to reflect on past events, impressions, and experiences. Johanna Calle’s Contables (Ledger Drawings) are intricate ledger sheet drawings that evidence an alteration in their structure due to social and economic factors.

“Papel”(Paper) is an exhibition that groups a variety of works that in spite of their stylistic and conceptual differences, all employ paper as artistic support or medium. Above all the exhibition attempts to highlight the significance and versatility of paper both as an artistic medium and as an essential part of human life. “Papel”(Paper) is a valid demonstration of paper’s versatility, expressiveness and directness which is being exploited by a greater number of contemporary artists today.

Participating artists: Ana Patricia Palacios, Antonio Caro, Dario Ramírez, Ester Partegas, Eugenio Espinoza, Frances Trombly, Johanna Calle, Juan Manuel Ramírez, Leyden Rodríguez-Casanova, Liliana Porter, Luis Lizardo, Luis Roldan, Maria Isabel Arango, Mateo Lopez, Matilde Marín, Máximo Florez Lopez, Ricardo Lanzarini, Rodrigo Echeverri, Rosemberg Sandoval, Sergio Vega, Victor Robledo.

PAPEL (PAPER)

mit Ana Patricia Palacios, Antonio Caro, Dario Ramírez, Ester Partegas, Eugenio Espinoza, Frances Trombly, Johanna Calle, Juan Manuel Ramirez, Leyden Rodriguez-Casanova, Liliana Porter, Luis Lizardo, Luis Roldan, Maria Isabel Arango, Mateo Lopez, Matilde Marin, Máximo Florez Lopez, Ricardo Lanzarini, Rodrigo Echeverri, Rosemberg Sandoval, Sergio Vega, Victor Robledo