curatorial

Momento : Espacio de tiempo muy breve.
Momento : A very short period of time.

Momento is an exhibition of recent work by four Kansas City-based artists whose conceptual and formal considerations are embedded in exploring ideas of space, installation, structure, process, physicality and intuition. This group of artists works use a variety of techniques -collage, crochet, casting, organizing and sculpture- and materials, such as: quotidian objects, cement, concrete, photographs, wood, yarn, etc. The creative practice of each artist, intuit or systematized their particular observations ranging from concepts of organization and disorganization, sculpture/objects, representation or fiction, to movements and structures. Momento translates to a very short period or an action that is currently happening. For this exhibition we're looking beyond its meaning, maybe it is more about a simple gesture or an object that captures with actions and emotions a new Momento in time.

Even though each artist works in their own way, their process of creation is what brings them together. They work with unconventional materials; they are risky and give to the constant challenge of contemporary art. Many of the pieces represent experiments, moments and situations; while others centered on the origin of their idea and it’s development. It all depends on the specific vision. That’s why, Momento, as such, collects works that explore meanings in the way of making.

Cory creates an installation that could be a sculpture or just a curated collection of objects together. What if everything is together? Or what if nothing is attached? A yellow plastic chain, retaining wall blocks, a cerulean carpet are some of the objects that once signified something else but putting them together might have acquired a new definition.

Andrew’s newest work “Archived Belt”, a thick concrete rectangular block with parts of photographs and concrete in different colors, questions the idea of observation, visibility and contemplation. Andrew’s application is versatile, creating a collage of memories, thoughts and visuals, hard to define. There is something in Andrew’s newest work that might be revealed in the textures of the work. Layers of concrete and memories.

Material exploration is also in Emily’s work, a collection of four objects - a cube, a half sphere and two house shapes. In Emily's work there is much to discover, from the different types of yarn to the use of wheels for her pedestals. The pedestals might be one of the clues to understand Emily’s concepts.

Annie's collection of objects revealed the side of chance and intuition. Her work comments on the relationship with the environment (in this case: studio/gallery space), for instance, the relationship between the space and the work, which is blurred by the similar materials that exist in both, asks whether the wood frame door was created purely to be an essential part of her work. The notion of found objects, or really prefabricated surfaces, is also something that resonates with the idea of perceptions -physicality and fiction.

Momento centers in a Eureka moment, when time stops and clarity lights up the artist’s mind. In this case, the artists involve work around the idea of time, space/organization, intuition, sculpture and physicality. Their work dynamic composition and installation encourage the viewer to experience an extended and highly perception of space & chance, an opportunity that is available, if we choose to see.

Gonzalo Hernandez