MOLAA Presents DESCARTES
at the Collaborative
September 18, 2010 – January 23, 2011
MOLAA is proud to present Descartes, the inaugural exhibition at The Collaborative, September 18, 2010 – January 23, 2011. Organized by the Museum of Latin American Art and curated by Idurre Alonso, Descartes features the work of Gabriel Boils, Dream Addictive (Leslie García and Carmen González), Jaime Ruiz Otis and Camilo Ontivero. The Spanish word descartes refers to something that has been ruled out, rejected, eliminated or excluded. The artists in this exhibition work with discarded elements including industrial waste from factories, second-hand puzzles, solar energy and used mattresses, washing machines and other electronic materials. “These artists not only address larger world issues such as the economy, the environment and consumerism but also issues closer to home that are more personal and often relate to the fact that they live in close proximity to the U.S. / Mexico border,” stated exhibition curator Idurre Alonso. Following the tradition of artistic movements such as Arte Povera, the artists in Descartes explore the concept of the ready-made to create works of art that question different social issues, especially those related to the social and economic value of objects, consumerism and immigration. In some cases, the works of art also show the artists’ interest in the environment and the use of renewable energies.
The Artists in Descartes
Jaime Ruiz Otis, born in Mexicali, Mexico in 1976, creates installations using wasted industrial materials from maquiladoras—assembly factories common in border cities of Mexico built to take advantage of easy accessibility to inexpensive labor. Ruiz Otis, who worked in a maquiladora in 1999, uses elements such as stickers, gold leaf, plasma screens, plastic monitors, etc. to produce minimalistic sculptures and installations that show the aesthetic possibilities of the “artistic” recycling of industrial materials and raise questions about environmental issues and consumerism.
Camilo Ontiveros, born in Rosario, Sinaloa, Mexico in 1978, is interested in exploring the underground, informal or alternative economies, immigration issues and the economic value of objects. In his most recent series, Ontiveros acquires used mattresses and washing machines by placing ads in Los Angeles. The ropes used to tie the objects refer to the way these products, having been discarded in the US., are transported to Mexico and then sold for a higher price, showing the economic and value differences between the two countries.
Gabriel Boils, born in Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, Mexico in 1976, uses puzzles that he buys in flea markets and creates installations in which he employs concepts of repetition, construction and deconstruction. Mr. Boils states, “My work is based on the research of production, the usage of images and on studying the relationship between art, the market and the spectator.” Gabriel Boils’ installations play with mathematical and geometrical concepts to build minimalistic color-chart type pieces that emphasize the subjectivity of value.
Dream Addictive, an artistic group formed by Leslie García and Carmen González, was created in Tijuana in 2003. This group emerged with the idea of exploring the fusion between art, technology and science. The sculptures to be presented in Descartes are part of the Solar Garden project which investigates the sound interaction with the viewers and uses renewable energy, such as solar energy, as its power source. The projects created by Dream Addictive are based on open source ideas; the information on how to create the pieces step-by-step is accessible to the general public on their website and in flyers distributed at the exhibition.
The Collaborative: a project of The Arts Council for Long Beach and MOLAA presents exhibitions that raise awareness of both emerging artists and new innovative approaches to art.
The CollaborativeHours of Operation
Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 11:00am – 5:00pm
Thursday 11:00 am – 9:00pm
Saturday and Sunday, 11:00am – 6:00pm
421 Broadway Avenue
Long Beach, CA 90802
Admission to the gallery is free.
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