ExhibitionAugust 5, 2022
Darío Escobar. The Word is Silver, The Silence is Gold
The Museo Nacional de Arte - MUNAL (Mexico City) presents a solo exhibition by Darío Escobar. Entitled La Palabra es de Plata, El Silencio de Oro (The Word is Silver, the Silence is Gold), the show presents the artist's works in dialogue with some of the most outstanding works from the museum's viceregal collection.
Dario Escobar's unique take on the colonial images of his native Guatemala, which have generally been linked to the Catholic imaginary, presents a collection in which everyday objects are transformed, inviting the viewer to reflect on the dialogues, counterpositions, and meanings that find a mirror with Novo-Hispanic baroque art.
"All these works were made between 1998 and 2001, in them, we find portrayed the questioning of many cultural aspects of today, such as mass culture and the peak of capitalism in which we move. They are very early works that deal with these issues with satire, with humor, which I think is essential for society because humor is a declaration of dignity in the face of adversity, that is why these works are quite politically charged," Escobar stated.
Darío Escobar (1971) studied architecture, which implied, among other things, an interest in the rich civil and religious traditions of the viceregal heritage. The artist applied for admission to an architectural conservation program at the Real Academia de San Fernando in Madrid, Spain. He thought that he could then redirect his practical knowledge to the colonial heritage of his native country. When he arrived in Madrid, he learned that he had not filled out the correct paperwork. He had applied for and received acceptance into a very different program of study: that of painting and sculpture conservation. However, Escobar's accidental application was a fortunate one that would lead him to distance himself from architecture and delve into learning the techniques of colonial image making.
Dario Escobar's unique take on the colonial images of his native Guatemala, which have generally been linked to the Catholic imaginary, presents a collection in which everyday objects are transformed, inviting the viewer to reflect on the dialogues, counterpositions, and meanings that find a mirror with Novo-Hispanic baroque art.
"All these works were made between 1998 and 2001, in them, we find portrayed the questioning of many cultural aspects of today, such as mass culture and the peak of capitalism in which we move. They are very early works that deal with these issues with satire, with humor, which I think is essential for society because humor is a declaration of dignity in the face of adversity, that is why these works are quite politically charged," Escobar stated.
Darío Escobar (1971) studied architecture, which implied, among other things, an interest in the rich civil and religious traditions of the viceregal heritage. The artist applied for admission to an architectural conservation program at the Real Academia de San Fernando in Madrid, Spain. He thought that he could then redirect his practical knowledge to the colonial heritage of his native country. When he arrived in Madrid, he learned that he had not filled out the correct paperwork. He had applied for and received acceptance into a very different program of study: that of painting and sculpture conservation. However, Escobar's accidental application was a fortunate one that would lead him to distance himself from architecture and delve into learning the techniques of colonial image making.
Gallery
