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18/11/2009

New Works: 09.3

Artpace San Antonio, San Antonio

Artpace San Antonio is pleased to announce New Works: 09.3 on view through January 10, 2010. Guest Curator Jens Hoffmann, Director, CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts, San Francisco, California, will debut projects by Adrian Esparza (El Paso, TX), Adriana Lara (Mexico City, Mexico), and Mario Ybarra, Jr., (Los Angeles, CA).

The artists

Adrian Esparza—Dream Drought
Adrian Esparza produces artworks from low-cost and recycled materials, such as T-shirts, posters, and ceramic figures. He transforms and elevates these common items by disassembling and reconfiguring them into new patterns. For his Artpace project, Dream Drought, Esparza created an interactive installation consisting of an altered set of musical chimes, a wall-sized reproduction of a geometric drawing, and a massive quilt suspended from the ceiling. This sewn curtain recalls West Texas's landscape of wide open sky and parched soil. A dark black shape sweeps across the horizon referencing the border fencing currently under construction between Texas and Mexico.

Adriana Lara—Artificial
Adriana Lara's practice de-emphasizes object making in favor of a conceptual approach.. As an artist and curator, Lara questions the function of objects that are created or selected for display. She playfully acknowledges the lack of originality in the art world, and uses gallery environments to set up problems or situations for the viewer to decode. Her Artpace exhibition, Artificial, explores the process of making of art and presents elements in a variety of media, including prints, a photograph, and a video in which she documents 20 San Antonio artists at work in their studios. Ultimately, Artificial questions art's formats, its role in society, and the conditions under which it's made.

Mario Ybarra, Jr.—Silver and Blacks
For his residency exhibition at Artpace, Silver and Blacks, Mario Ybarra, Jr. created a series of works on paper constrained by a self-imposed set of rules. He made drawings using silver, black, and white,, and his tools could only include markers, inks, and aerosol paint. Ybarra described the process as entering the "batting cages"—limiting advance planning and choosing to react to the parameters in place. The result is an installation filled with both abstract and figurative works showcasing Ybarra's distinct calligraphic handwriting and caricature portraits punctuated with a variety of skulls, masked figures, and multi-headed creatures.

The curator
Jens Hoffmann has been Director of the CCA Wattis Institute, San Francisco, since 2006. Previously, he was Director of Exhibitions at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) in London. There he organized several group exhibitions, including Alien Nation (2006), 100 Artists See God (2004–05), and Artists' Favorite (2004). He has organized solo exhibitions for John Bock, Cerith Wyn Evans, Tino Sehgal, Jonathan Monk and Martha Rosler. Hoffmann has worked for the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY; Dia Center for the Arts, New York, NY; and Documenta X, Kassel, Germany, among others. Recent publications include Ice Cream: Contemporary Art in Culture (Phaidon, 2007), co-authored with nine other curators and The Next Documenta Should be Curated by an Artist (Revolver, 2004).

New Works: 09.3 is made possible by Linda Pace Foundation; the City of San Antonio's Office of Cultural Affairs; National Endowment for the Arts; The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts; Nimoy Foundation; and Melva Bucksbaum and Raymond Learsy.

Artpace San Antonio serves as a laboratory for the creation and advancement of international contemporary art. Artpace believes that art is a dynamic social force that inspires individuals and defines cultures. Our residencies, exhibitions, and education programs nurture the creative expression of emerging and established artists, while actively engaging youth and adult audiences.

Artpace is located downtown at 445 North Main Avenue, San Antonio, Texas.
Open to the public Wednesday through Sunday, 12-5 PM, and by appointment.
Admission is free.

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