PABLO CAVIEDES | ON THE MAP & THE CRANIUM COLLECTION
From March 27 to April 27, 2024, the Wilmer Jennings Gallery at Kenkeleba is pleased to present an exhibition of works by urban conceptual artist, Pablo Caviedes. The exhibition is composed of 40 two- and three-dimensional works and animation videos, that demonstrate a range of Caviedes’ creativity. PABLO CAVIEDES | ON THE MAP & THE CRANIUM COLLECTION is curated by Alexis Mendoza, artist and Executive Director, New York Latin American Art Triennial.
Pablo Caviedes is a Postwar and Contemporary artist who was born in 1971 in Cotacachi, a small town in the Andes in Ecuador. He is acknowledged as a leading force within the emerging 21st Century US-Latino transcultural art-scene. His work has been exhibited in solo and group shows in Ecuador; Paris, France; Barcelona and Madrid, Spain; Warsaw and Lublin, Poland; Lecce and Trento, Italy; Washington, D.C.; Oakland, California; and Ponce, Puerto Rico. He has numerous awards in Ecuador and in Europe.
Caviedes studied etching in Paris at the École National Supérieure des Beaux Art. In Barcelona, he focused exclusively on a unique process of painting on cardboard. Over the course of his practice in NYC, he has merged technological and formal innovation by incorporating varied techniques. In culmination of a 6-year project, ON THE MAP & THE CRANIUM COLLECTION incorporates painting, drawing, etching, sculpture, installation art, digital art, 3D painting, along with video processes to develop a visual language.
"On the Map" stands as a poignant tribute to the multifaceted contributions of immigrants to the cultural, identity, and developmental tapestry of the United States. Within this exploration, a sub-series titled "Cranium" emerges as a captivating and thought-provoking extension, delving into the complex intersection of immigration and mortality. This collection of skull representations, while implicitly connected to the broader narrative of "On the Map”, possesses a standalone power that demands attention. – Alexis Mendoza
With On the Map, Caviedes presents a visual metaphor of the immigrant experience and its impact on American culture through portraits of three individuals. President Barack Obama and Andy Warhol represent the enormous contributions of second-generation immigrants, and Caviedes represents the talents and resolute spirit of first-generation immigrants.
Some works are informed by historical frameworks, as in Barack Obama Portrait, 2012 and the Kamala Harris Portrait of 2021. Other works explore strictly aesthetic matters, such as his study of monochromatic colors in the round burnt sienna canvas, Self-Portrait (2017). In the 3D portrait of President Obama (2013), blue and turquoise serve as symbols of surviving perilous waters, while sepia represents blood and agony. Caviedes states: My work is multilayered. I look at art as a form of expression, a medium of experimentation and communication. Through the visual medium I seek to motivate, inspire and raise awareness.
The exhibition is accompanied by the book, On the Map, published in 2019 by the Ecuador Ministry of Culture and Heritage, with bilingual text in English and Spanish by art historian Dr. Jose Rodeiro.
Gallery Hours: Wednesday to Saturday, 11 am to 6 pm
Location: 219 East Second Street at Avenue B
Opening Reception: Sunday, Sunday, January 28, 2024, 3-6 pm
Artist Talk: Saturday, February 17, 2024, 2-4 pm
Kenkeleba programs are funded in part by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the Ruth Foundation and many generous friends.
