Descripción de la Exposición
The Water Trilogy 2, a site-specific architectural installation at Le Forum, continues Mexican artist Abraham Cruzvillegas’s exploration of the interconnectedness of culture and society. It forms the second in a trilogy of exhibitions by the artist in 2017, taking place in Paris, Rotterdam and Tokyo.
As a child, Mexican artist Abraham Cruzvillegas witnessed the building of his family home from found materials – the starting-point for his concept of Autoconstrucción. He continues this theme as a guest artist at Le Forum, producing three site-specific pieces that draw on local resources: bamboo, recycled paper and cardboard, and a natural, home-made, boiled rice glue. The sole exception is a scattering of Ipomoea tricolor – a species of morning-glory native to Mexico. They are planted within each structure, as the setting for a musical performance.
As well local materials, the suspended sculptures use formal references to engage with their host culture: paper lamps by Japanese-American artist Isamu Noguchi, and references to Tokyo’s historic Nakagin Capsule Tower (1972), an icon of the Japanese Metabolist architectural movement. Internally, the structures unfold in accordance with the principles of ‘tensegrity’ as defined by architect and designer Richard Buckminster Fuller.
At the crossroads of multiple influences, The Water Trilogy 2 incorporates the artist’s Latin American culture in the form of a unique, filmed performance by three Mexican musicians playing songs by Abraham Cruzvillegas, each standing with his or her head inside the base of a sculpture, so that it acts as a loud-speaker. The resulting recording is screened adjacent to the installation throughout the duration of the show.
Subtitled Autodefensión Microtonal Obrera Campesina Estudiantil Metabolista Descalza (Self-defence Microtonal Worker Peasant Student Metabolist Barefoot), the Water Trilogy 2 marks a new chapter in the artist’s work, which, in committing to local contexts in international presentations, never ceases to transcend them.
Exposición. 21 may de 2025 - 22 sep de 2025 / Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (MNCARS) / Madrid, España
Formación. 30 oct de 2025 - 11 jun de 2026 / Museo Nacional del Prado / Madrid, España