On the occasion of the 2nd edition of SP-Arte Online, Nara Roesler is pleased to present a selection of works by Marco A. Castillo. The exhibition opens in conjunction with Propriedad del Estado, the artist's first solo show in Brazil, on display at Nara Roesler São Paulo, expanding the public's understanding of the artist's compelling practice.
Nara Roesler's presentation for SP-Arte Viewing Room 2021, includes works in wood and rattan, such as Lam and Ana, as well as from the Low Reliefs and Libreta de Notas series. His Lam and Ana series are rooted in the designs of Cuban modernist practice, juxtaposing a colonial and traditional past with more ideological and figurative influences of the 1960s and 1970s. While in Ana, Castillo intertwined Soviet-era designs with traditional elements of the Cuban production, in Lam, he juxtaposes forms derived from indigenous and african art, evoking influences from Cuban modernist design. The name of the series was chosen in homage to Wilfredo Lam, who also worked with visual elements of the like, becoming an icon of modernity in Cuba.
The series Libreta de Notas, consists of works made of ink and pencil on paper, through which Castillo explores modernist designs and structures. Libreta de Notas are not studies for his sculptures, but rather a means of delving into an aesthetic program, and into the role of reviving or reconstructing his country's heritage.