Eight people out of work covering the widest possible social spectrum were photographed by Francesc Torres as he lived alongside them for one to two weeks. During this period, the artist documented their daily lives: some recycle scrap, others send out résumés, others are apparently not doing anything, as if this were now a given state for their lives, others seek a change in their professional life, others are helping those even less fortunate than them. All of them are surviving, alone or with their families. In addition to the visual documentation of their day-to-day experience, each of them has had a formal portrait taken. The artist never juggles two stories in parallel: he only began to document a participant once work with the one before had been completed.
 
After this first visual presentation of their lives and economic situation, filmmaker Mercedes Álvarez filmed each of them giving their opinions on the art they liked and whether it played a part, important or not, in their lives. They were asked to provide an object from home (a painting, a figure, a reproduction) with emotional significance for them. Finally, they each visited the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA) alone and there chose a work from the permanent collection from among those fit to be transported and explained why it interested them. This foray into the museum was filmed by the director and went on to form part of the installation with the above images and personal belongings. The pieces selected from the MACBA collection for this process have also been borrowed to complete the project presentation at the 55 Venice Biennale (2013). As active subjects of the final work, the eight unemployed men and women received remuneration for their participation and dedication. 
 
Jordi Balló is a curator, professor, researcher and essayist. He was exhibition director of the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB) from 1998 to 2011, and he directed the process of conceiving and producing over 80 exhibitions at the CCCB as well as other institutions. 
 
Francesc Torres Over his extensive artistic career he has worked as a visual artist, curator and essayist. Most of his artistic career has taken place outside of Spain. Numerous centers and institutions of recognized standing (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art; Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid; Institut Valencià d'Art Modern; Nationalgalerie, Berlin; Massachusetts Institute of Technology and MACBA, among others) have dedicated solo exhibitions to him. Torres was present in the Spanish Pavilion at the 37th Venice Biennale (1976).
 
Mercedes Álvarez is filmmaker. In 2004 she directed her first film, the full-length documentary El cielo gira, which could be seen in many cinemas across the world and was a winner at numerous festivals of renown. She settled in Catalonia and in 2007 began work on the feature film Mercado de futuros, which premiered in 2011 and was selected by the world’s most important film festivals.
 

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Catalonia at Venice
Jordi Balló
castellano/català. A project for the Venice Biennale curated by Jordi Balló. With Francesc Torres and Mercedes Álvarez
144pp./ 16.5x23.5cm./ 188il./ Paperback

ISBN:
9788434313347
9788434313200
Castellano
Català

25.00€
 

Portada del libro



 

The Chilean Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale brings together works by outstanding Chilean artists Paz Errázuriz and Lotty Rosenfeld.Both artists are recognized for their intense labor since the eighties during the dictatorship period, in which they were noted for their active political work and constant criticism through different artistic expressions.Their work contain critical thoughts about domination, subordination and genre categorizations, as well as an analysis of the historical development of Chile,from dictatorship period to what has been termed post-transition. Paz Errázuriz has addressed many social issues, mainly through photographs in black and white, while Lotty Rosenfeld has been characterized by developing interventions in public space as part of the Group CADA (Collective Actions of Art) whose production is associated in Chile to the movement called “escena de avanzada”.This book/ catalogue contains an extensive essay by Nelly Richard, editor in charge, and two suggestive analysis by Diamela Eltit and Andrea Giunta, both deeply knowledgeable of the Latin American art scene

 
Texts by Diamela Eltit, Andrea Giunta
200pp./ 21x27cm./ / Tapa dura

ISBN:
9788434313507 Castellano/English

35.00€
 

Portada del libro.



 

Marcel·lí Antúnez Roca (Moià, Barcelona, 1959) is internationally renowned for his activities in mechatronic performances and his interactive installations. From his earliest days, as founder of the theatre company La Fura dels Baus in 1979, Marcel·lí has assembled his own special universe of interests, to which he has contributed (among other things) his interest in Outsider Art, the trends of the 1960s, technology, science, comics and popular traditions. This personal universe is completed by his embracing of particular aspects of the human experience such as food, sex and death.

For over two decades, the performance art that lies at the heart of Marcel·lí’s work has been immersed in digital technology. During this time, he has developed a working procedure he has dubbed “Systematurgy”; a practice that is characterized by the concept of user participation. 

This book explains the concept of Systematurgy through a first- person narrative that also offers us an insight into the genesis and form of projects ranging from Joan, l’home de Carn (1992) to the exhibition Systematurgy: Performances, Devices and Drawings, that was showed at Arts Santa Mònica in Barcelona (2014) and lends its title to this book. Included within these pages is a glossary of the artist’s concepts, along with his manifestos and a full chronology of his artistic activities.

 

Systematurgy

Performances, devices and drawings
Manel Guerrero, Marcel·lí Antúnez

228pp./ 0x0cm./ / Paperback with flaps

ISBN:
9788434313576
9788434313514
9788434313583
Castellano
English
Català

25.00€
 

Portada del libro