ART CITIES:Zurich-Abraham Cruzvillega
Abraham Cruzvillegas’ artistic process is deeply influenced by his surroundings. Rather than being defined by a particular medium, many of his projects are linked by the platform of “autoconstrucción”, a concept that draws from the ingenious, precarious and collaborative building tactics implemented by the people living in Colonia Ajusco, his childhood neighborhood in Mexico City.
By Dimitris Lempesis
Photo: Kunsthaus Zurich Archive
Abraham Cruzvillega appropriated this term in relation to his practice to describe an approach of inventive improvisation and instability, which presents change as a permanent state arising from the chaotic and fragmentary nature of life. The idea was born from his experience of his parents building their home out of found materials. The word means “Self-Building” and refers to this natural process of adding materials to homes according to immediate necessity and opportunity. The evolving notion of “autoconstrucción” has in turn yielded different approaches such as “autodestrucción” and “autoconfusión”. These inquiries have led him to explore his own origins and to collaborate with family and friends in a very personal form of research, one that results in a constant process of learning: about materials, landscape, people and himself. Through his oeuvre, which includes sculpture, painting, drawing, installation and video, Cruzvillegas reveals a close and constant engagement with the material world, immersing himself in the ongoing construction and transformation of personal and collective identities. Using a wide range of collected objects, his sculptures challenge the traditional conceptions of art-making, while his paintings and drawings are marked by a keen depiction of the subject and a strong sense of humor, instilled in him from his early training as a political cartoonist. Art as expression and mirror of society: that’s the theme of “Autorreconstrucción: Social Tissue”, the first solo exhibition in Switzerland by Abraham Cruzvillegas. During the exhibition, the artist will be transforming the 1,000m2 presentation space into a workshop, in which new art will be created and a range of events will take place: from film screenings, workshops and round-table discussions to skateboarding afternoons and a kids’ club. At the end, the new creations will finally be assembled into a complete installation. Cruzvillegas addresses fundamental issues of our time, such as migration, social cohesion and the consequences of climate change. His artistic practice is informed by a sense of constant change. Improvisation, working with found materials and interacting with local people play a key role. In Zurich he will be transposing the concept of dynamic process into the exhibition format itself, in what promises to be an unforgettable experiment: a unique opportunity to witness an artist in the midst of his productive process and access art in a whole new way.
Info: Kunsthaus Zurich, Heimplatz 1, Zurich, Duration: 16/2-25/3/18, Days & Hours: Tue & Fri-sun 10:00-18:00, Wed-Thu 10:00-20:00, www.kunsthaus.ch
