6/10/2011
Esther Ferrer
Artium, Vitoria-Gasteiz
In four movements. The artist aims to show all the four pillars upon which a lifetime's work is constructed, and in particular present a work of art that is always under construction and in constant progress and development. For over forty years, she has been developing her work based on a knowledge of the world that is systematic, rigorous and methodical.
curated by Rosa Olivares
“Accidents are part of the performance”
“The idea must be good when the concept is bare and everybody can see it”
“There is no freedom when everything is controlled by institutions”
“I do not do art for others, I do art for myself”
“Art is the only space for freedom”
These words of Esther Ferrer, gathered over years of conversations, present us with a radical, independent, anti-exhibition and free artist with her own ideas. All this has made her since the beginning of her work as an artist – in other words, since she began doing anything – into somebody uncomfortable yet admirable, an example for everybody and at the same time somebody who is difficult to adapt to the roles assigned to an artist by the system of art today.
For over forty years, she has been developing her work based on a knowledge of the world that is systematic, rigorous and methodical. And although she claims she is only interested in her work while she is completing it in her studio, it is inevitable that we search to discover what happens to this work when it emerges from her studio, when it emerges from her mouth. And it seems that until recently she was absolutely unknown in Spain, although internationally recognised. Her performance pieces were gradually being seen, and some of her other work too, but gradually and in a piecemeal manner. But the fact is that Esther Ferrer does not want to exhibit, and it is not easy, first, to convince her and, then later, reduce her thought down to a handful of works exhibited in some rooms.
In fact, it could be said that all her work can be reduced into one: Esther Ferrer. She is the work. Not only she, her body and its energy in her performance pieces, but she, always she, in her objects, in her self-portraits, in her search for the infinite through the number Pi. In short, she, with her body, her voice, her ideas, her words, her logic and her excesses. Simply superb, any attempt to systematise her work and steer it towards an exhibition becomes a struggle that can only be won by entering into the epicentre of her thoughts. Talking with her words, seeing with her eyes, touching with her hands. That is why we have chosen four ideas that have always been present in all her works in one way or another: time, infinity, repetition and presence. In four movements, in four blocks focused on each of these concepts, the exhibition brings together her object-based work, installations and documentation of her performance pieces, key works in her career, as well as other unknown works, some never seen before or never made, or others created specifically for this occasion.
This is not a retrospective exhibition, because Esther is not particularly enamoured of looking back, and neither is it an anthology, as that is typical of artists who have ended their career and Esther Ferrer is still as active as ever. In Four Movements aims to show all the four pillars upon which a lifetime’s work is constructed, and in particular present a work of art that is always under construction and in constant progress and development: Esther Ferrer.
Organized by ARTIUM (Vitoria-Gasteiz), and Acción Cultural Española (AC/E),
and co-produced by CGAC (Santiago de Compostela) and Es Baluard (Palma de Mallorca)
Catalogue of the exhibition with texts by Margarita de Aizpuru, Tom Johnson, Rosa Olivares, David Pérez Rodríguez, Sergio Rubira and Alberto Sánchez Balmisa
Related events
October 7, friday, 5.30 PM
Esther Ferrer. Performance
Free access
October 8, saturday, 12.00
A conversation between Esther Ferrer and Rosa Olivares
Free access
October 20, thursday
Training session for teachers. Registrations: +34 945209020
October 26, wednesday, 7.30 PM
Lecture: Margarita de Aizpuru
Free access
October 27, thursday, 7.30 PM
Lecture: David Pérez
Free access
Artium
Calle Francia 24 - Vitoria-Gasteiz
From Tuesday to Friday: 11.00 - 14.00 and 17.00 - 20.00
Saturdays and Sundays: 11.00 - 21.00
Mondays: closed (unless this coincides with a public holiday)
The ticket office will remain open until half an hour before closing time.
Admission: General ticket: 6 €