ART CITIES:Milan-Juan Muñoz, Double Bind & Around

“Double Bind & Around”, is a major solo exhibition at the Fondazione Hangar Bicocca, dedicated to Juan Muñoz. The artist, who died in 2001, was one of the leading exponents of European sculpture of the last two decades of the 20th century.

By Dimitris Lempesis
Photo: Fondazione HangarBicocca Archive

On the occasion of the exhibition, Hangar Bicocca is showing his most important work, “Double Bind”, which was made in 2001 for the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern in London and never exhibited to the public afterwards. The exhibition also includes 15 installations and over 100 sculptures. Juan Muñoz reintroduces human figure at the center of architectonical and sculptural space. Puppets, acrobats, ventriloquists, dwarfs and ballerinas are but some of the characters that inhabit his works, alongside anonymous orient-looking figures, whose presence recalls ambiguous and contradictive scenarios. Next to “Double Bind”, there are works like “The Wasteland” (1986), “Ventriloquist Looking at a Double Interior” (1988-2000), “Conversation Piece, Dublin” (1994), “The Nature of Visual Illusion” (1994-1997) and “Many Times” (1999), making this an important opportunity to grasp the work of a great artist who reinterpreted the tradition of classic sculpture on the basis of 20th century avant-gardes. Mainly known for his sculptures in papier maché, resin and bronze, Juan Muñoz often took an interest in writing and in sound art, creating audio pieces and compositions for the radio.

Info: Juan Muñoz, “Double Bind & Around”, Curating: Vicente Todolí, Fondazione HangarBicocca, Via Chiese 2, Milan, Duration: 9/4-23/8/15, Days & Hours: Thu-Sun: 11:00-23:00, www.hangarbicocca.org