Variations on the Purgatory

Invited by the Dirección Nacional de Divulgación Cultural, artist José Alejandro Restrepo transformed the Museo de Arte de la Universidad Nacional into a theatre where he staged and reflected on the scaffolding intended to emancipate a town built through the years by politics and religion. Entitled Variations on the Purgatory, the exhibition consists of six spaces intervened architectonically and with technological elements, such as projectors, cables, a speaker system, and lights that are combined to enhance the impact of the video installations. The first variation on the purgatory is presented in the grand salon. There, a 16.40 feet long by 8.20 feet high mural, recreates the place in flames where the souls are consumed. For the second variation, Restrepo staged an emergency room with blue chairs connected through a black tube. On top of these, a T.V. set shows ghostly images of a group of "people" that work in an office. The third interpretation of purgatory comes alive on tempered glass. There, several wood carved souls can be observed as part of the Purgatory Museum, in Rome. The scene is truly horrifying: in the center of a large dark salon shaped like a rectangular pool, the artist projects the texture of water. José Alejandro Restrepo centers his artistic production around the social, political, and historical issues that affect Latin America and Colombia. This exhibition sheds light on the existing relationship between politics and the concept of purgatory. The show will remain open to the public until April 30, 2011.