ExhibitionMarch 18, 2022· By Elisa Rodríguez Campo
Guadalupe Maravilla (1976, El Salvador), the recipient of the Lise Wilhelmsen Art Award 2021, presents his first solo exhibition in Europe at Henie Onstad Kunstsenter (Norway) entitled "Sound Botanica"
The story behind the work of Brooklyn, New York-based visual artist Guadalupe Maravilla is quite unique and somewhat therapeutic.
In 1984, at the age of eight, he immigrated to the United States undocumented and alone, fleeing the civil war in El Salvador. As an adult, he was diagnosed with cancer, treated with radiation and chemotherapy, and other healing practices such as sound baths, finally beating cancer.
The artist's interdisciplinary practice constantly refers to these experiences of exile and illness, migration, and healing.
The exhibition brings together more than 30 works in different formats, including a series of sculptures entitled "Disease Launchers," created from objects and materials collected by the artist as he retraces the route of his migratory journey. At the heart of each sculpture is a gong activated during sound baths, a collective, ritualistic, and meditative healing experience created by the artist.
"Tripa Chuca" refers to a Salvadoran game that Maravilla played during his childhood and along his migratory route. The series is also represented in a site-specific work at the Henie Onstad, in which Maravilla "plays" the game in collaboration with an undocumented person.
In his "Embroidery" series, Maravilla condenses the thematic elements of his drawings to symbolize resistance against persecution and political pressure on undocumented immigrants.
The exhibition also includes retablos, "ex-voto" paintings, a popular art form traditionally used to express gratitude for having survived dangerous events. Maravilla celebrates the new opportunity to live that allows him to continue to be an artist and healer.
The exhibition and acquisitions are part of the 2021 Lise Wilhelmsen Art Prize Program, which awards a $100,000 prize to a distinguished artist whose work inspires and motivates future generations to active participation and social responsibility. It is presented every two years and is aimed to mark a significant milestone in an artist's career. Guadalupe Maravilla is the second artist to receive the award, inaugurated in 2019 with Nigeria's Otobong Nkanga as the first recipient.
In 1984, at the age of eight, he immigrated to the United States undocumented and alone, fleeing the civil war in El Salvador. As an adult, he was diagnosed with cancer, treated with radiation and chemotherapy, and other healing practices such as sound baths, finally beating cancer.
The artist's interdisciplinary practice constantly refers to these experiences of exile and illness, migration, and healing.
The exhibition brings together more than 30 works in different formats, including a series of sculptures entitled "Disease Launchers," created from objects and materials collected by the artist as he retraces the route of his migratory journey. At the heart of each sculpture is a gong activated during sound baths, a collective, ritualistic, and meditative healing experience created by the artist.
"Tripa Chuca" refers to a Salvadoran game that Maravilla played during his childhood and along his migratory route. The series is also represented in a site-specific work at the Henie Onstad, in which Maravilla "plays" the game in collaboration with an undocumented person.
In his "Embroidery" series, Maravilla condenses the thematic elements of his drawings to symbolize resistance against persecution and political pressure on undocumented immigrants.
The exhibition also includes retablos, "ex-voto" paintings, a popular art form traditionally used to express gratitude for having survived dangerous events. Maravilla celebrates the new opportunity to live that allows him to continue to be an artist and healer.
The exhibition and acquisitions are part of the 2021 Lise Wilhelmsen Art Prize Program, which awards a $100,000 prize to a distinguished artist whose work inspires and motivates future generations to active participation and social responsibility. It is presented every two years and is aimed to mark a significant milestone in an artist's career. Guadalupe Maravilla is the second artist to receive the award, inaugurated in 2019 with Nigeria's Otobong Nkanga as the first recipient.
Gallery
