2023-07-18 14:38:02
Cildo Meireles is the first Latin American to win the most relevant annual award in Europe
The Roswitha Haftmann Prize is a prestigious recognition given annually to an outstanding contemporary artist in the field of visual arts. Established in 2001 in honor of the Swiss collector Roswitha Haftmann, the prize is currently the most relevant in Europe and seeks to recognize and celebrate the significant contribution of living artists who have left an indelible mark on the global art scene.
With a generous sum of money as a prize, the winner of the Roswitha Haftmann Prize is selected by an expert jury comprising renowned art curators, critics and scholars, and their work is recognized as an important contribution to the evolution and understanding of contemporary art.
With more than 20 years of awards, the institution announced on the 12th the winner of 2023: the Brazilian Cildo Meireles (1948), the first Latin American to win the prize worth 150 thousand euros. The jury evaluates the work as a whole and in a press release, Yilmaz Dziewior, member of the board, elaborated on the decision: “the jury was impressed by the artist’s exceptional talent in engaging his audience both intellectually and emotionally with politically charged and aesthetically fascinating works ”.
Born in Rio de Janeiro, Meireles emerged as one of the leading artists of the avant-garde movement that transformed Brazilian art in the 1960s. Along with figures such as Lygia Clark and Hélio Oiticica, he pioneered the creation of a direct and visceral dialogue with the public, seeking engagement and interaction in their works.
One of the distinguishing features of his work is his ability to create immersive installations that stimulate the senses and invite the viewer to actively participate. He often incorporates tactile, sound and olfactory elements, expanding the aesthetic experience beyond sight and promoting a sensory relationship with the work.
Throughout his career, Meireles addressed a wide range of topics, such as political repression, social injustice, colonialism and environmental issues. His works are often loaded with symbolism and metaphors, encouraging the viewer to reflect on complex and urgent issues in contemporary society.
One of the works cited by the award is Shift to the Red, one of his most emblematic works. Created between 1967 and 1984, this installation consists of a series of objects and elements arranged in such a way as to create a unique sensory and conceptual experience for the viewer.
Its name refers to an astronomical concept, a particular case of the Doppler Effect, of red shift, which is a phenomenon that occurs when light coming from a distant source undergoes a shift towards the red spectrum, indicating the expansion of the universe.
The installation involves environments with everyday objects and the color red is present throughout, creating an intense and symbolic atmosphere. When walking through the space, the viewer is invited to interact with the objects and explore the meanings behind each element.
Consisting of three environments, the first being a large white room with a red carpet, on which furniture, objects, plants, liquids, food and works of art rest – all red. The second is a narrower, darker, square-shaped room, in which a bottle on the floor suggests a spill of red paint spread across the floor. Finally, the third room contains a sink installed and tilted with a metal faucet from which red liquid gushes.
Meireles uses common objects and subverts them, transforming them into elements laden with symbolism and criticism. The work also questions the relationship between the spectator and the work of art, inviting him to reflect on his role in society and his ability to bring regarding change.
Insertions in ideological circuits it was also pointed out as one of the relevant works of his career. Developed between the 1970s and 1980s, this series consists of interventions carried out in everyday objects and spaces, with the aim of provoking reflections of the most diverse natures.
The idea behind the Insertions in ideological circuits it is to subvert and destabilize dominant structures and systems, infiltrating critical messages and questions in unexpected places. Meireles performed interventions on common objects, such as banknotes, Coca-Cola bottles, matchboxes and even books.
An iconic example of this series is the intervention made on banknotes. Meireles stamped banknotes with political messages, such as Who killed Herzog? e Yankees go home, and put them back into circulation. This action sought to destabilize the monetary system and make political messages reach a wide and varied audience.
Another famous intervention in the series was the insertion of critical messages on Coca-Cola bottles. Meireles recorded provocative messages such as instructions on how to turn the bottle into a Molotov cocktail, political messages or the explanation of the project itself. This action questioned the role of large corporations in consumer society and encouraged reflection on the values and ideologies behind these brands.
Insertions in ideological circuits represents Meireles’ concern with using art as a way of questioning, confronting and transforming the structures and systems of power present in society. His interventions propose a break with normality, encouraging the public to question and reflect on the dominant discourses and ideological control mechanisms.
Cildo Meireles, recently on display in São Paulo with the exhibition “In the kingdom of foda (1964-1987)” at Galeria Luisa Strina, continues to inspire artists and spectators, challenging norms and expanding the limits of artistic expression. Success at the 2023 Roswitha Haftmann Prize reaffirms his place as one of the most significant and influential contemporary artists of our time.
1690638097
#engaged #art #Cildo #Meireles #recognized #Roswitha #Haftmann #Prize
