nina menocal
zacatecas, 93, colonia roma
mexico, d.f., 06700 mexico
t. 52 (55) 5564.7209/7443
galeria@ninamenocal.com
http://www.ninamenocal.com
René Francisco Rodríguez
Lista de Espera
November 15, 2005 to January 31, 2006
Vernissage – Tuesday, November 15 2005, 7-10pm
nina menocal is pleased to announce the exhibition Lista de Espera, recent work by the Cuban artist René Francisco Rodríguez. He has exhibited before at the gallery in numerous group exhibitions and in a collaborative project with Ponjuán in the early 90´s.
René Francisco’s work has been recently exhibited at last year’s Sao Paolo Biennial. Apart from a number of well received international exhibitions he has also exhibited at the 48th Venice Biennial and has been highly active in the Havana Biennial from the early 90´s to the present, most often participating with Gallery DUPP, a collective of emerging and established Cuban artists which René Francisco coordinates. Gallery DUPP’s project for the 7th Havana Biennial, which consisted of a series of cast metal microphones placed along the walls of the Morro (the fort guarding the entrance to the Havana harbor), brought significant international attention and the group was awarded an UNESCO prize.
Lista de Espera presents a brand new body of paintings with the addition of an interactive painting and video installation. René Francisco’s unique and meticulous technique of paint application – his style of pointillism – provides the viewer with the safety of distance, like a blurred photograph, from the difficult reality he depicts. And yet the sensual texture of his canvas surface also entices the viewer closer to this reality. His images contrast solemn groups of anonymous figures with idyllic scenes of North American cities taken from mid 20th century souvenir banners, illustrating the anguish and futility of waiting to catch one’s “dangling carrot”.
This exhibition functions as an installation of a rather straight-forward and everyday Cuban narrative, that of waiting, most often waiting to leave. In Rene Francisco’s new work, hand in hand with waiting also comes division of space, specific cues for specific reasons, a metaphor for the divisions, social and otherwise, which we ourselves also make or participate in on a regular basis. As with most of his previous work this new body addresses a running narrative of social themes pertinent to the Cuban people, a larger project about the current situation of a people and a country.
nmprojects is pleased to announce the installation of recent sculptural work, at nina menocal, by Rocio Infestas, an emerging Mexican Artist. Her perky Manga (popular illustrated books of Japanese origin) inspired “dolls” pose coyly for the viewer who is left nothing to imagine of their anatomy. These “dolls” are a departure from the clean lined and highly stylized Japanese figure, revealing the roughness and awkwardness of hand sculpted ceramic. The artist uses a popular vocabulary of the fetishized female body to complicate notions of the erotic with a very vulgar modeling of the figure. If nothing more, these are visually delightful objects of dreams and fantasy.
For additional information or images please contact the gallery at galeria@ninamenocal.com
The gallery is also searching for project-based interns for 2006. Please direct serious inquiries to Frederick Janka at frederick@ninamenocal.com
