Conceptualizing Global Warming and Traditional Techniques
Installations by Nan González, Martín Touzón, and Lisu Vega
With the curatorship of Félix Suazo, Pinta Miami 2021 will become a stage for immersive and thought-provoking installations. The aim is to highlight the individuality and artistry of contemporary artists who, through their works and installations, bring to life the concerns and possibilities of the near future. Special Projects will feature artists Nan González (Courtesy of the artist and Henrique Faria, New York), Martín Touzón (Courtesy of the artist and Tomás Redrado Art Gallery, Miami), and Lisu Vega (Courtesy of the artist and Bag Online Art Gallery, Houston).
Venezuelan artist Nan González will present a video installation that is both monumental and intimate. This piece, Titanes de Hielo (Ice Titans), was designed as an immersive experience for visitors, aiming to address the interconnectedness of nature's elements and the butterfly effect of human activity. Another video titled Alma del Glaciar (Soul of the Glacier) complements the artist's approach. Using water as a leitmotif, González's installation and Suazo's curatorship seek to raise awareness about global warming and the loss of biodiversity, two of the most pressing issues that Miami faces.
Martín Touzón, for his part, presents Affective Pulse (2021). This light installation, composed of several chained neon pieces, reacts to the presence of the viewer, triggering a sensory response that floods the space. At a time when distance between people is a prophylactic resource, proximity reminds us of the importance of physical interaction and how essential we are to each other.
Similarly, the site-specific textile installation La Cueva (The Cave) by Venezuelan-American artist Lisu Vega serves as a bridge between ancestral techniques and contemporary experimentation. By intersecting fashion, graphic design, and fine arts, Vega also explores sustainability, and in doing so, underscores the relevance of memory and emotion in the exploration of contemporaneity.
-
Lisu Vega, La Cueva, 2021 (art installation Special Project)
Handmade weaved rope sculpture, Dimensions variable -
Lisu Vega, El mapa, 2021 -Handmade weaved rope sculpture, Dimensions variable
-
Lisu Vega, Untitled, 2021 -Handmade weaved rope sculpture, Dimensions variable
-
Lisu Vega, Gala, 2021 -Handmade weaved rope sculpture, Dimensions variable
-
Lisu Vega, Untitled, 2021 -Handmade weaved rope sculpture, Dimensions variable
-
Lisu Vega, Untitled, 2021 -Handmade weaved rope sculpture, Dimensions variable
-
Sin título (And), 2020. Light installation by Martín Touzón. Courtesy of the artist and Tomas Redrado Art Gallery
-
Nan González "Alma de Glaciar" (2001-2005). Courtesy of the artist and Henrique Faria New York.
Félix Suazo (Havana, Cuba, 1966) is a professor, art critic, researcher and curator. He graduated from the Higher Institute of Art of Havana in 1990 and in 2003 he received a Master in Museology from the University of Valladolid, Spain. He has served as a researcher at the National Art Gallery (1997-2003) and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Caracas (2004-2008). From 2008 to 2013 he was Coordinator of Exhibitions and Curator of Periférico Caracas / Arte Contemporáneo. He is currently the Manager of the Sala TAC, member of the curatorial team of El Anexo / Arte Contemporáneo and professor at the Universidad Nacional Experimental de las Artes. He is the author of the books A diestra y siniestra. Comentarios sobre arte y política (Right and Left. Comments on Art and Politics) (2005), Umbrales. Museo, Curaduría, Investigación (Thresholds. Museum, Curatorship, Research) (2013) and Panorámica. Arte Emergente en Venezuela, 2000-2012 (Panoramic. Emerging Art in Venezuela, 2000-2012) (2014).
Suazo currently lives in Miami, Florida, where he works as a curator and advisor for art projects. He is also co-editor of the About Images newsletter, an initiative of ArtMedia Gallery, and Curator of IDArtLab.