ExhibitionJanuary 3, 2012
Muntadas: Information >>Space>>Control
New York City
Until January 15 of 2012, the Bronx Museum of the Arts in New York City will be presenting the exhibition entitled Muntadas: Information >>Space>>Control by Catalan artist Antoni Muntadas (Barcelona, 1942). The exhibition was made possible by the support of the Institut Ramon Llull and it originated in the Pinacoteca in São Paulo. Curated by José Roca, the exhibition succeeds in compiling an assorted repertoire of works by Muntadas¿seven works altogether¿that include video, photography, and multidisciplinary mediums. The exhibition includes works that reflect an artistic trajectory that expands over seventy years by an artist recognized for multimedia work and public art installations that address socio-political issues. The exhibition focuses on the relationship between the public and private spaces, the media¿namely, the manner in which information is disseminated, interpreted, and manipulated, as well as the way in which public opinion is shaped. Some of the works exhibited are Video is Television? (1989), On Subjectivity (1978), Fear/Miedo (2005), and Miedo/Jauf (2007). In the pieces Video is Television? and On Subjectivity, Muntadas manipulates information gathered from the media with the objective of eliciting an interest in the inner workings of censorship and the dissemination of ideas, as well as to learn about the ways in which the context can sometimes influence our understanding and/or the meaning of such ideas. In the instance of the piece On Subjectivity, the public is welcome to interact with the work, as it relies on photographic images of the Bronx and fragments of phrases created by the visitors¿which will be eventually combined with the writings of future visitors. The works Fear/Miedo and Miedo/Jauf explore the thematic of borders and the tensions that exist in them, as they also address the origins of the fear of the unknown and of that which is different. Although Muntadas has been working on these themes for more than ten years, they have increasingly become more relevant because of the times that we live in. He invites us to wonder about the ways in which the public sphere influences our everyday lives.
Until January 15 of 2012, the Bronx Museum of the Arts in New York City will be presenting the exhibition entitled Muntadas: Information >>Space>>Control by Catalan artist Antoni Muntadas (Barcelona, 1942). The exhibition was made possible by the support of the Institut Ramon Llull and it originated in the Pinacoteca in São Paulo. Curated by José Roca, the exhibition succeeds in compiling an assorted repertoire of works by Muntadas¿seven works altogether¿that include video, photography, and multidisciplinary mediums. The exhibition includes works that reflect an artistic trajectory that expands over seventy years by an artist recognized for multimedia work and public art installations that address socio-political issues. The exhibition focuses on the relationship between the public and private spaces, the media¿namely, the manner in which information is disseminated, interpreted, and manipulated, as well as the way in which public opinion is shaped. Some of the works exhibited are Video is Television? (1989), On Subjectivity (1978), Fear/Miedo (2005), and Miedo/Jauf (2007). In the pieces Video is Television? and On Subjectivity, Muntadas manipulates information gathered from the media with the objective of eliciting an interest in the inner workings of censorship and the dissemination of ideas, as well as to learn about the ways in which the context can sometimes influence our understanding and/or the meaning of such ideas. In the instance of the piece On Subjectivity, the public is welcome to interact with the work, as it relies on photographic images of the Bronx and fragments of phrases created by the visitors¿which will be eventually combined with the writings of future visitors. The works Fear/Miedo and Miedo/Jauf explore the thematic of borders and the tensions that exist in them, as they also address the origins of the fear of the unknown and of that which is different. Although Muntadas has been working on these themes for more than ten years, they have increasingly become more relevant because of the times that we live in. He invites us to wonder about the ways in which the public sphere influences our everyday lives.
