Emilio Chapela - A Measure for Some Things
Recently, I saw a documentary in which the size of a Brazilian ant was described as ‘somewhere between big and enormous’. I was puzzled because I was unable to judge its size. After all, they were just talking about a small ant. We don’t realize how big something is until we compare it and we can only compare a hand-full of things at the same time. E. Chapela (Mexican, born 1978)
A Measure for Some Things, Emilio Chapela’s first solo show in NY, consists of several works that explore abstraction and color almost obsessively. The works are connected by the permutation of color as a constant, and by the variations of simple geometrical figures. But as is usual in Chapela’s work, behind the visual abstraction and the playfulness of geometry, there is a conceptual complexity that connects back to society, providing an insight into constructing the collective unconsciousness, which is the essential subject matter of his work.
The exhibition is an attempt to organize and measure things that, when forced into comparison, express some of the absurdity of today’s world: What do people Google the most? What is the size of an economy? How many products can we find at the supermarket? The answers are variable, yet they can be both deceiving and revealing. It depends on the tool with which we measure them.
The show presents for the first time, a group of colored geometrical sculptures that graphically compare data extracted from the Internet. This information is related to economic growth and other social concerns. By just using cubes, the work “Narco 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010” volumetrically represents the frequency in which the word ‘narco’ was googled each given year. “USA, Kiribati”, on the other hand, compares the size of the biggest and the smallest economy of the world, showing the absurdity and fragility of today’s economic order. Other works in the show explore aspects of society in terms of the products it consumes: “64 Drinks” depicts the colors of different beverages in the supermarkets in Mexico City. “Taco bell” is a visual re-arrangement of the popular US-based, Mexican fast food restaurant’s logo, which ironically demonstrates a massive failure in the cultural exchange between Mexico and US.
Solo Exhibitions
2011 A Measure for Somethings, Henrique Faria Fine Arts. NYC, USA. 2010 Made in Italy, Galleria Galica. Milan, Italy.
Color Fillds, Faría+Fábregas Galería. Caracas Venezuela.
2009 Miss-communication, Sala Jesús Gallardo. León, Gjto. México; (Curator Koan J Baysa)
Miss-communication, Museo de la Ciudad de Queretaro. Qtro, México (Curator Koan J Baysa) SELFportraitSCAPES, Museo de Arte Abstracto Manuel Felguerez. Zac, Mex. (Curator Gilbert Vicario)
2008 According to Google, |EDS| GALERIA, Mexico DF
3725 Km. Projex-Mtl Galerie, Motreal, Canada
SPECTACULAR, (Project room), Museo MARTE. San Salvador, El Salvador.
2007 256 + 1 + 4, EDS GALERIA, México, D.F., México T / 4, Trolebus Galeria, México, D.F., México
Group Exhibitions
2011 Coca Colonized, Museo MARTE. San Salvador, El Salvador.
2010 Cosmopolitan Routes, The Museum of Fine Arts. Houston, TX, USA
Human Rites, Bass Museum. Miami, FL, USA Coca Colonized, Brot Kunsthalle. Vienna, Austria Houston Photo Fest Biennial, Houston, TX, USA
2009 Visible Hands, Ilmin Museum, Seoul, Korea.
Seeing as Believing, Axis Gallery, Sacramento, CA. USA Con-Texto. EDS Galeria, México, D.F., México
2008 XIV Bienal de Pintura Rufino Tamayo. Museo Rufino Tamayo. Mexico DF.
The Garden of Delights. Yeosu Art Festival. Yeosu, Corea (curator Raul Zamudio).
2007 Hold the line. Ferenbalm-Gurbru Station, Karlsruhe, Germany Estacionarte 2007. México DF (curator Nestor Quiñones)
2006 Creación en Movimiento (Jóvenes Creadores). Centro Nacional de las Artes CNA, México DF 2005 Durban Video Festival. Organized by PULSE and Rijksakademie. Durban, South Africa.
Retroactiva, Faro de Oriente, México DF (Curators: Salvador Cañas y Melisa Lio)
2004 Fotógrafos y No fotógrafos, Centro Cultural “El Refugio”, Jalisco, México
2003 Jornadas de Nivelación del Oxígeno, Ex-Teresa Arte Actual. México DF (Curators Guillermo
Santamarina and Xavier Rodríguez)
2002 X Bienal de Fotografía de México, Centro de la Imagen, México DF 2001 Preferiria No Hacerlo, Centro de la Imagen, México DF
Grants, Residencies and Awards
2008 Emerging Artist award at PULSE Miami Art Fair. Awarded by the Financial Times. MIAMI, EUA Programa de Coinversiones Culturales. FONCA. México DF
Premio Gran Centenario al artista emergente. Awarded by Fundación Cuervo, México DF.
2007 Artista en residencia en el ISCP de NY. FONCA, NYC, USA
2005 Programa Jóvenes Creadores FONCA, FONCA 2004-2005. México DF
Publications
2009 Miss-communication. Catálogo de exposición. FONCA. 2000 copias. México DF. EDUCACIÓN
2002 Pasante en comunicación por la Universidad Iberoamericana UIA, México, D.F. 2001 Diploma en Fotografía y Medios Alternativos, Centro de la Imagen, México, D.F., 1998 Estudios de matemáticas, Facultad de Ciencias, UNAM, Mexico D.F.