Prestige – solo exhibition by Isaac Cordal
There is no authority without Prestige even once it’s sunk. Ten years after The Prestige polluted more than 1000 beaches, Isaac Cordal (Spain, 1974) presents new works and a full look at his project, ‘Cement Eclipses: Small Interventions in the Big City.’
Rue de Theux
In the front hall, Isaac has created a new work for the gallery that transforms the effect that austerity measures are having on families and communities across the EU into a waking discussion. For each 1% rise in the unemployment rate, there is a 0.8% rise in suicides; homelessness is rising quickly across the continent yet there are no published European statistics to date (www.feantsa.org). In line with his direct language, Isaac presents another new work titled: 25k.
Cement Eclipses (2006 – to Present)
Cement Eclipses – Small Interventions in the Big City is an ongoing research project that deals with space, scale and social phenomena through sculpture, photography and ephemeral installations. In addition to the cement sculptures, Isaac also employs other material like common colanders and city lights. Cement refers to more than material, and had a role in the project’s original interest and aims. In 2007, 54.2 tons of cement was purchased for use in Spain. Much of it went untouched as the real estate boom devastated the country’s seaboard, traveled inland and contributed to the daily rise of unemployment and poverty wounding the nation. Eclipses, refers to nature, balance and the feeling of being overwhelmed by scale or speculation.
Lehman Brothers. Cement painted. 2011.
Noticia de Prestige, unha exposición de Isaac Cordal en Bruxelas
O artista galego, Isaac Cordal (Pontevedra, 1974), ven de inaugurar o pasado 8 de Novembro unha exposición individual na Galería Harlan Levy Projects, en Bruxelas, baixo o título Prestige, que ven ser ao mesmo tempo unha chamada de atención sobre a catástrofe do Prestige, acontecida hai dez anos e da que agora se está celebrando –finalmente- o xuízo, e unha chamada de atención sobre a ausencia de autoridade moral daqueles –os políticos- que perderan progresivamente o seu prestixio.
« There is no authority without prestige even once it’s sunk » (non hai autoridade sen prestixio, unha vez que este se afunde), di literalmente a folla volante que xunto cunha tarxeta postal dun voluntario recollendo fuel se entregan á entrada da sala de exposicións. A exposición forma parte dun macro-proxecto do autor titulado “Cement Eclipses”. Trátase dunha colección de estauíñas e obxectos realizados en cemento, unhas veces pintados e outras non, que recollen varias visións que Isaac Cordal ten sobre a situación actual do mundo. Impresionoume particularmente unha serie titulada “waiting for climate change” (esperando polo cambio climático, ver foto adxunta) onde unha serie de persoas, espera coa auga ata os xeonllos e un flotador a chegada da subida do nivel do mar. Tamén hai dúas pezas metafóricas na exposición que ben merecerían un comentario: unha é un colchón en cemento, homenaxe aos que teñen que durmir na rúa e outra un maletín de cemento de 25 quilos de peso, que é máis ou menos o que Isaac calcula que se levarían certos políticos de comisións por cada obra acordada, cando a tolemia do “ladrillo”.
Isaac adoita facer estas instalacións –que logo fotografía- en lugares públicos, onde se representa a epopea do home actual e a súa relación co medio. Así ten presentado os seus traballos ao público (nunha especie de “arte de rúa”) nas cidades de Pontevedra, Vigo, Londres, Zagreb, Viena, Milán, Berlín e outras que non veñen á memoria. En todas elas acadou público recoñecemento e referencias explícitas nos medios de comunicación locais. Ese situar as pezas nos lugares públicos fai que as máis das veces están desaparezan unha vez instaladas, sendo, como o mesmo Isaac di os axentes de limpeza os seus mellores clientes. Mais el sinte mágoa por esas pezas desaparecidas e prega a todo aquel que se teña levado algunha do lugar onde foron situadas, que lle mande referencia gráfica de que as súas estatuíñas se encontran en bo estado.
Como tantos outros artistas galegos Isaac Cordal tivo que emigrar para se facer un lugar na escena internacional. Vaia isto como aviso para os Museos de Arte contemporánea de Galiza, que semellan non ter moito interese nos artistas galegos, e que só os chaman cando estes adquiren sona no estranxeiro. País pequeno.
Máis información en www.hl-projects.com e na web: Isaac.alg-a.org
Xavier Queipo
(Bruxelas, 12 de Novembro de 2012)
Media Archeology. Cement. 2012.
News about «Prestige», an exhibition of Isaac Cordal in Brussels
Last November 8th, the Galician artist Isaac Cordal (Pontevedra, 1974), has just opened a solo exhibition at Gallery Harlan Levy Projects in Brussels, under the title Prestige. The title it is a warning about the disaster of the oil tanker «Prestige», occurred ten years ago (Now there is a final-trial in the Spanish Court), and also a call of attention to the lack of moral authority of those politicians, who gradually lost its prestige.
’There is no Authority without prestige Even once it’s Sunk’ says literally te flyer that along with a postcard of a volunteer collecting fuel is available at the entrance of the exhibition hall. The exhibition is part of a macro-design of the website entitled «Cement Eclipses». This is a collection of small statues and objects made with cement, sometimes painted sometimes not, they collect multiple views that Isaac Cordal has on the World’s current situation. Particularly impressed me a series entitled «waiting for climate change» (see photo attached) where a number of people staring -with water up to the knees and a float- the arrival of the announced rising of sea level. There are also two metaphorical pieces in the exhibition that well deserve comment: one is a mattress in cement, remembering implicitly those who have to sleep on the street. Other is a briefcase cement build and 25 kilogrammes of weight, which is more or less what Isaac estimates that it would take some political committees for each project agreed when the madness of the «brick explosion in Spain and other countries».
Isaac often makes these installations in public places and then takes pictures of them. Those installations represent the epic of modern man and his relationship with the environment. Isaac has already presented his work to the public (a kind of «street art») in the cities of Pontevedra, Vigo, London, Zagreb, Vienna, Milan, Berlin and others that do not come to my mind. In all of them achieved public recognition and explicit references in the local media. Placing the pieces in public places makes that most of the time the statues are gone once installed, being as the same Isaac says the cleaning agents his best customers. But he feels sorry for these missing pieces and asks to anyone who has taken some of the place where they were located, to send reference chart that your figurines are in good condition.
Like so many other artists Galician Isaac Cordal have had to emigrate to make a place on the international stage. Look at this as a warning for the Museum of Contemporary Art in Galicia, which seem not to have much interest in Galician artists, and only call when they gained fame abroad. Small country.
More information www.hl-projects.com and web: Isaac.alg-a.org
Xavier Queipo