Abraham Cruzvillegas: Autoconstrucción
- Source: The List (Issue 616)
- Date: 30 October 2008 (updated 11 Nov 2008)
- Written by: Liz Shannon
Abraham Cruzvillegas creates work that reflects his upbringing in Ajusco, a district of Mexico City developed by migrants from the countryside attracted to work in the city's building trade, who used their knowledge to collaboratively construct their homes and communities. Cruzvillegas' work reflects the social and political implications of such community action. This may sound a dry observation, but the exhibition contains a playful sense of humour.
The first gallery is packed with sculptures constructed during the artist's residency at Cove Park in Scotland. The influence of the rural landscape is evident through found pieces of wood, hanks of wool and an imaginative use of sheep shit. Many of these works are beautifully and improbably balanced: several of the hanging pieces are 'anchored' by handfuls of wool.
The emptiness of the second gallery is explained by the presence of an extraordinary five-wheeled bicycle mounted with speakers and a video projector. Cruzvillegas filmed his progress around Glasgow on the bike, broadcasting the music to the city, and visitors are encouraged to ride around the space, blasting the songs and projecting the film onto the walls.
It is a testament to the strength of Cruzvillegas' artistic vision, and his talent, that his home-inspired practice enables him to maintain links with his origins while also incorporating new ideas that arise out of a foreign place.
CCA, Glasgow, until Sat 8 Nov
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