AUTOMOTIVE IndUsTrY In MExIcO Ready to Overtake - ProMéxico

60 Negocios ProMéxico | The Lifestyle Negocios ProMéxico | The Lifestyle 61
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the sensual
world of
ernesto
neto
Famous for his biomorphic sculptures which fill entire exhibition
spaces, you can catch a retrospective of ernesto Neto’s work at the
Antiguo colegio de san ildefonso in Mexico city
from April 22 through september 9, 2012.
La lengua de Ernesto. Obras 1987-2011 is not only the artist’s
largest but also his most complete exhibition to date.
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by paola valencia
Ernesto Saboia de Albuquerque Neto, better known as
Ernesto Neto, is one of Brazil’s more internationallyacclaimed
contemporary artists. The eroticism his
pieces convey are worthy of his sultry homeland, inviting
us to reach out and touch them in all their irresistible glory.
Through that gesture, that small act of affection we sometimes
find so hard to express in modern-day society, the artist forces us
to reconsider how our perception of sensuality has grown more
rigid over time. And as we nestle in the soft, protective folds of his
installations, we remember the importance of touching, hugging,
feeling, of being human.
—When I see one of your pieces, I get the urge to touch it.
Sometimes they trouble me so much I feel like bursting
them. What is the meaning of your work?
They signify life! Pleasure, danger and desire.
—What brings you back to Mexico? How did this retrospective
at the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso come about?
This exhibit began at the Contemporary Art Museum of Monterrey
(MARCO) and took me several years to finish. I am overjoyed
to be able to show it in Mexico and lap up the energy Mexicans exude,
not to mention enjoying their food. The MARCO exhibition
was a milestone in my life because it brought me face to face with
my own past. I can’t wait to see how it goes down in Mexico City,
which is a much more expressive city than Monterrey.
—This is the largest exhibition you’ve done to date.
Why Mexico?
I have followed the path life has marked out for me. I am not even sure
how we came to decide on the retrospective format. Maybe it emerged
from conversations I had with the curator, my friend Adriano Pedrosa,
and MARCO.
Adriano had already expressed an interest in compiling a map of
my work, while MARCO wanted to show a selection of pieces from
the past –something rarely asked of me. That’s how the opportunity to
show in Mexico came about.
What motivates me most are original projects like the Slow is
goood exhibit I recently opened at the Tanya Bonakdar gallery in New
York. The Lengua de Ernesto project is a gift for my friend Adriano and
the Mexican public. All the works in this exhibit reflect the passion
that has driven me throughout my career, which is getting involved in
new projects and creating new works. It is fascinating.
—I associate your work with sensuality and a certain
sense of protectiveness. I have often felt like curling up in
one of your pieces and letting it embrace me. What is your
original intention?
I think your desire to be hugged is the sensation I try to convey to
the world, to others and myself. We all need to be hugged but being
hugged by a stranger is a scary prospect, which is why I use art as
a buffer between ourselves and the world. I am glad it elicited that
response from you because that’s exactly what I was aiming for.