In his premier German exhibition, entitled After All, I'm Still Here, Galerie de Miguel presents the bold images of Juan Lealruiz. The exhibition is comprised of large format photos (275 x 180 cm) and installation objects conceived especially for this space.
After All, I'm Still Here
The work of Juan Lealruiz has been focused on the nature of the viewer's perception of an image or scene.
Lealruiz has established his vision based upon the premise that we are conditioned by our over-exposure to images and thus respond from a memory or historical basis rather than reality.
In his premier German exhibition, entitled After All, I'm Still Here, Galerie de Miguel presents the bold images of Juan Lealruiz.
The exhibition is comprised of large format photos (275 x 180 cm) and installation objects conceived especially for this space.
The photographic images of trucks taken from the rear of the vehicle and free of context, take their 'name' from the vehicle's license plate.
This is the only distinctive sign of any variation and an image whose saturated color and lifesize dimension appear realistic and at the same time surreal.
The installation objects provide two distinct experiences.
The first, an industrial container placed at the entrance of the gallery will serve as a pseudo-isolation tank.
The container, painted Ferrari yellow, has a door for the viewer, or in this case the shoeless-participant, to enter the sound-proofed environment.
Inside the container, the low and deliberate breathing of a person is the only audible sound. The only light, shining on the feet of the participant, to remind us that After All, I'm Still Here!
The second installation object, a photographic image of a picnic that is free of context, is placed in front of the trucks as a juxtaposition of nature and urban reality
Interactive in nature, the viewer is invited to remove glasses of whiskey and oranges which partially obscure the actual picnic scene, thus giving light to the still life in progress.
Sound elements, a tenor and an unidentifiable musical piece without place or time, complete the scene of sureal vs real, as if the two guests at the picnic were as discordant as the sounds and images colliding.
Juan Lealruiz (Bogota, Columbia, 1965) recieved his diploma from the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence in 1989 after his studies at the Faculty of Architecture in Bogota. In 1993 he took part in the XLV Venice Biennale presenting an installation entitled Nymphaeum. Since 1983 Lealruiz has been living and working in Italy. For personal reasons, his work has appeared under the name Juan Lear, that name replaced Juan Leal-Ruiz which was used by the artist from the start of his career.
PREVIEW Thursday, April 25th 2002
OPENING TIMES Tue. to Fri. 11am to 6pm; Thu. 11am to 9pm
Sat. 11am to 4pm
INFORMATION Tel : 49-89-52350860 Fax : 49-89-52350858
Galerie de Miguel
Luisenstr. 55
D - 80333 München