The multiple possibilities offered by drawing have given it an important presence in contemporary art; indeed, it is the immediacy of drawing, the force of the line, that allows something to happen on the surface – it is the line that connects two worlds, two seemingly dissimilar natures, that brings about the encounter between man and animal.
The multiple possibilities offered by drawing have given it an important presence in contemporary art; indeed, it is the immediacy of drawing, the force of the line, that allows something to happen on the surface – it is the line that connects two worlds, two seemingly dissimilar natures, that brings about the encounter between man and animal.
Rostrum, grafías de un acontecer is a proposal rooted in the artistic practice of drawing, understood as an event in itself, which aims to reflect on the notion of the human and animal face and the bonds these two have established over time.
In this sense, the presence of the animal in human life is unavoidable; however, when reviewing the portrait genre, the animal tends to appear merely as company for the main figure. Thus, if artists of the past placed emphasis on the gaze and on the face in general, it can be assumed that the animal was not portrayed autonomously, since it was believed – and is still believed by some – to have neither face nor gaze. Paradoxically, the term "face" [rostro] comes from the Latin rostrum, which was used to name anything with a point, such as the beak of birds or the snout of other animals.
While many studies of the animal by man are scientific in nature, it is possible to think, from the artistic field, about the bonds – or rather the tensions – established between these two, hence the need to consider how animals are perceived and how they, in turn, perceive humans, since it is clear that each perceives or feels in different ways.
The exhibition, opening to the public on May 21, includes a series of drawings arranged into five sections: oculus, naris, auris, oris and appendix. In this way, the senses play a predominant role in representing the subject (human or animal). The proposal is complemented by a sculptural piece that presents a conflicting situation between humans and animals, in this case, insects.
Rosa Ángela Achicanoy