The Sound of Silence. 2006. Installation. Variable sizes. |
Three Women, 2010. Installation. Variable sizes. |
Celebrating 20 years of working together, Oliva Arauna and the Chilean artist Alfredo Jaar present ‘The Sound of Silence', offered for the first time with the text in Spanish, created specifically as the featured piece of the exhibition.
The work is an eight-minute video where each spectator’s steps have been brought to our attention by the artist in order to create a separation from our daily lives and give us time to reflect on the ill-named ‘Third World’. Also put forth to us by the artist is the fidelity of the images, the labor of journalism and anything else we are willing to confront.
Displayed in a separate room is a blinding, wall of light that creates a catharsis between the exterior and the interior. Upon entering we find the biography of Kevin Carter, a South African photojournalist during the 1993 Sudan famine who shot one of the most shocking images ever published - a famished girl with a vulture lying and waiting for her. By analyzing this snapshot as well as the life of the photographer and all the controversy and awards that surrounded the photo - the artist sets a mood for recollection and reflection.
The exhibition comes to an end with a piece labelled ‘Three Women’, which is comprised of small portraits of Graça Machel, Ela Bahtt and Aung San Suu Kyi. Despite their size, Alfredo portrays their history with enlightenment and recognition as well as with the great importance that the three ladies deserve.
Continuing along these lines, Alfredo Jaar is recognized as one of the most relevant social artists of the post-contemporary era. With a vibrant and thought-provoking style, his work doesn’t permit indifference and is unforgettable. In this exhibition he presents us with specific biographies that allow him to create his own historic view.