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Cuco Suarez 
Fundación Telefónica presents the
new exhibit, "Mystery and Evolution", an interpretative
project dealing with the classical heritage and the technological
present of Asturian artist Cuco Suárez, who examines human
nature, social evolution and our endangered
biodiversity.
In the part of the exhibit called "Evolution", the artist combines a view of traditional cattle-raising with multimedia technology, using the most modern of supports. The goal is to offer a space for reflection about his surroundings, human memory and contemporary life. This is an interpretative project. It deals with universal concepts as applied to his world; Thus, he reflects upon his life, beginning with his childhood. Moreover, this vitalism also breaches limits as transgression, in the defense of free expression. The breach is formally transmitted through the artist’s use of organic materials to create his piece. Its goal is none other than to show us plain reality. According to Suárez himself, "reality is very tough and I put real things in front of the viewer." This reality is one threatened by technology, with biodiversity attacked by globalization. THE "MYSTERY" AND "EVOLUTION" OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY Cuco Suárez explains the relationship between nature and technology, contained in his exhibit, by pointing to his own roots: "I come from a rural area, Laviana. My father raised cattle. I have my studio in the country, so I look out the window and see cows. However, I live in a city and the iconography that I use is translated into a more universal language, up-dated through the multi-media of digital art." "Mystery and Evolution" is organized by Luciano Escanilla. He poses that western culture, built with elements of the past and memory, is currently confronting a present and future in which the world of communication and new technology have plunged mankind into loneliness. Parting from this concept, Suárez has created two autonomous, yet combinable installations, "Mystery and Evolution". The first part of the exhibit, "Mystery", is built around elements of pre-Socratic thought; The four elements – water, air, fire, and earth- are icons of the classical tradition, with the mystery of the eye penetrating levels deeper than those of reality, etc. The second part of the exhibit, "Evolution", on the other hand, draws directly from the current reality of Asturian livestock farms, in order to illustrate the evolution and the convergence of the cattle-raising past with the computerized present. This past and present co-exist in the exhibit. According to Escanilla, behind this reflection there is something even more personal: Suárez’ Asturian surroundings, with his oldest memory meeting up with contemporary life. It is the memory of a pained self with suffering accumulated since childhood. On another occasion he dedicated his work "to those who are in pain and suffer". In short, we are witnessing the painful mystery of Cuco Suárez being shared with his fellow man, and with the exhibit’s viewers. THE "MYSTERY" OF LIFE The first part of the exhibit is directly related to the mysteries of nature, life and coincidence. This mysterious genesis comes from the traditions of western thought, those Greek sources, dating back 2,500 years, which form the basis of western scientific and philosophical tradition. Luciano Escanilla explains the tradition of logos as follows: "Water, for Thales, is the foundation of nature; Fire, according to Heraclitus, is the initiating energy of all moving processes, that which makes everything flow; Anaximander maintained that the primary element was air; And Empedocles accepted all these essential elements and added a fourth, calling it the "root of all things". Suárez warns us of the present-day indifference to this legacy and advocates searching for our destiny through the Greek cultural origins, in which both human relationships and natural processes can be found. In short, the message is to discover how human beings can survive in their journey. THE "EVOLUTION" OF REFLECTIVE AWARENESS Suárez invites us to reflect on the metaphor of the Asturian cattle farms, both in their past and present forms. In a dark room we see the step-by-step plan of the mysteries unfolded in the installation inside. Inside five dissected heads of cattle, we can see five different videos of Asturian farms. Above these, hanging from the ceiling are several udders and right in front of them is a huge feeding trough that is raised off of the floor. In the rear, a large screen projection of the cattle farms. The way of handling this evolution is to invite the individual viewer to consciously reflect, which in turn will create an evolution. As Escanilla explains, "change and alterations, whether going backwards or making a sweeping jump forward and destroying that which has been gained, allows the birth of something new." Thus, Cuco Suárez calls into question man’s absolute pride in thinking himself indispensable. Our trust in the great scientific advances and the "great truths" is becoming more uncertain each day. In many respects, this means returning to our origins, to our primitive unconsciousness and simplicity. "I work with the unconsciousness of childhood because mine was very difficult. When I was young I became an adult, and now that I’m an adult, I’m becoming a child again." – Cuco Suárez.
CUCO SUAREZ
Upon studying this artist’s artistic itinerary we encounter a clear and consistent preoccupation with these themes: No one talks, everyone is eating, Want cake? Then have some!, El Chabolu, From dust we come. . . , You don’t even exist, Poems for the end of the millenium, Lex Legis, Virtual Suicide, Act of Rupture, and Seven. These are all epigraphs of a chain of work that the artist has presented since 1988, proof positive of his devotion to these subjects. INDIVIDUAL EXHIBITS 2002 "Out of Order", Södertälje Konsthall, Sweden. Barjola Museum, Gijón. Rugby Museum, Birmingham, Great Britain. Observatory, Valencia. "Mystery and Evolution", Fundación Telefónica, Madrid. 2001 "Seven", Malone Gallery, Madrid. Dasto Gallery, Oviedo. "New Realities", Osorio, Gran Canaria. 1998 "Cuco Suárez, Useless", Café Español, Oviedo. "The C.S. Useless Virus", "Project Room", Vértice Gallery, ARCO ’98, Madrid. 1997 "Art", Dolly Van Döllen Gallery, Oviedo. 1996 "Lex Legis / Toilet bowl Portraits", Vértice Gallery, Oviedo. "Mestizo", Auditorium, University of Zaragoza. 1995 "Poems for the end of the millenium", L’Angelot Association for Contemporary Culture, Barcelona. "You don’t even exist", "Poems for the end of a millenium", Mestizo, A.C., Murcia. "Tribeca", Paradise Gallery, Oviedo. 1994 "You don’t even exist", Cultural Center, Pola de Laviana, Asturias. 1993 "You don’t even exist", La Rula Room, Municipal Cultural Foundation, Education and Universities, Gijón. 1992 "From dust we come. . . "Galileo Cultural Center, Madrid and Benedet Room, Oviedo. 1991 "El Chabolu", La Sala, Oviedo. 1990 "Want Cake? The have some!", Borrón Gallery, Oviedo and the Municipal Cultural Center of Avilés. "Cakes". Sculpture Center at the Antón Museum, Candás. 1989 "Niemad Spricht, akke Essen", Raum F. Gallery, Zurich, Switzerland. 1988 "No one is talking, everyone is eating", School of Applied Arts and Artistic Trades, Oviedo. PERFORMANCES 2001 Panspermia Circus Esplanade of the IVAM, Valencia. 2000 "Self-destruction"+ Zem, Dasto Gallery, Oviedo. "Passion for Luis Buñuel", III Performance Festival of Segovia. 1999 "Manipulation", "Paradise", Zero Eventa 5, Ekeby Qvarn, Uppsala, Sweden. "Virus", Nasa Gallery, Santiago de Compostela, II Performance Festival of Segovia. 1998 "The News is Written with Blood", Eventa 4, Ekeby Qvarn, Uppsala, Sweden. "Nine Dragon’s Heart", International Art Symposium, Kong-Yu,Korea. I Performance Festival of Segovia. "Virus", Montronon Gallery, Barcelona. 1997 "Act of Rupture II Escape", Festimad, Fine Arts Circle, Madrid. "American Dream", Eventa 2, Water Space, Uppsala, Sweden. "Virus", Eventa 4, Café Katalin, Uppsala, Sweden. 1996 "Act of Rupture II Escape", Revillagigedo Palace, Oviedo. 1995 "Virtual Suicide", Performance Festival, Paradise Gallery, Oviedo. "The Material of Chaos", Les Arts Factory, Olot, Girona. 1993 "Virtual Suicide / Act of Rupture", Le Creer. DANAE Foundation, Poully, France. "Balance /Virtual Suicide", Art in Action, La Nasa, Santiago de Compostela. COLLECTIVE EXHIBITS 2001 Collection of Artists at ARCO; Museum of Fine Arts, Asturias. ART Transmedia, Gijón. 1999 "The City and the Earth", Cruce Gallery, Madrid. "Fauna", Zacheta Gallery; Contemporary Art Museum of Warsaw, Poland. "Paradise Zero", V Eventa Art Biennial, Ekeby Qvarn- Uppsala, Sweden; The Estampa International Graphic Art Fair; Dasto Gallery, Madrid. "Multigrafías", Dasto Gallery. 1998 "VIII National Art Biennial, City of Oviedo". 1997 Art space (EGO) at the School for Art and Design, Oviedo; also, the Cruce Gallery, Madrid. "The Universal Photo booth", Open Air Piece, Barcelona; ARCO ’97; Vértice Gallery, Madrid. "10 x 10", Borrón Gallery, Oviedo. 1996 "Inauguration of New Space", Vértice Gallery, Oviedo. "Underway. Artists and Urban Space", Cultural Center (Old highschool); Municipal Cultural Foundation, Education and Universities, Gijón. 1995 "Mestizo", the Auditorium at the University of Zaragoza. 1994 "Stories of Pain. AIDS.", Transforma, Dept. of Philology, University of Vitoria. "Art on Paper", Paradise Gallery, Oviedo and other cities (traveling exhibit). 1993 "A partial look", Caja Cantabria, Santander. "A look", Kunsthausörlidon, Zurich, Switzerland. "Members Only", Carles Poy Gallery, Barcelona. Grand Canarias Town Hall; Las Palmas 1992 "Fragments", El Arenal Gallery, Spain Pavilion, Expo-92, Seville. IV Art Biennial of the City of Oviedo; Fine Arts Museum of Asturias. "Free Books", School of Applied Arts and Artistic Trades, Oviedo. "Open Space /Offenraum", Im Amshimmel Gallery, Badem, Switzerland; Im Trudelhaus Gallery, Badem, Switzerland; Spinnerai. 1991 Regional Exposition of Visual Art, Principality of Asturias; Campoamor Theatre, Oviedo. College of Arts, Design and Technology, Wexham, Clwyd, Wales; The Briggait, Glasgow; Youth Center, Setúbal; Youth Services Center, Viano do Castelo; Youth House of Orense; Cultural Resource Center of the Community of Madrid; Cultural Center of the City of Llanes; Exhibit Room at the Cultural Center of the Valencian regional government, in Alicante; Exhibit Room at the Municipal Horticulture Center, Valencia; Exhibit Room of San Esteban, Murcia; Cultural Center of Avilés; Rhyl Library Museum and Center, Wales. "Asturias: new ceramics", School of Fine Arts, Lorient, France; Youth Art, Ministry of Social Affairs, Contemporary Art Museum, Madrid. 1990 "Real Image / Virtual Image", Museum of the Evaristo Valle Foundation, Gijón. National Ceramics Contest, Museum do Poblo Galego, Santiago de Compostela; María Blanchard Room, Santander, and the Asturian Center of Madrid. Regional exhibit of visual arts, Principality of Asturias; Borrón Gallery, Oviedo; College of arts, Design and Technology, Wexhan, Clwyd, Wales; The Briggait, Glasgow; Youth center, Setúbal; Youth Services Center, Viana do Castelo; Youth Center, Orense; Cultural Resource Center of the Community of Madrid; Cultural Center of the city of Llanes; Exhibit room at the Cultural Center of the Valencian Regional government, Alicante; Exhibit Room at the Municipal Horticulture Center, Valencia. AWARDS AND GRANTS 2000 Art grant from the Cultural Office of the Principality of Asturias. 1995 Grant for the research of alternative spaces. Municipal Cultural Foundation, Education and Universities, Gijón. 1993 Visual Arts grant from the Office of Education, Culture and Sports, Principality of Asturias. Award for his mural at the Multiple Services Building, Oviedo. 1991 Youth Art exhibit, Injuve. Ministry of Social Services, Madrid. 1900 Grant for Visual Art project from the Office of Education, Culture and Sports, Principality of Asturias. 1989 First prize in competition for remodeling the RENFE-FEVE train station in Gijón, with ceramic mural. Honorable mention as the National Sculpture Competition, CajaMadrid, Madrid. Studio Grant for artists from the Office of Education, Culture and Sports, Principality of Asturias. 1988 Grant from the Office of Education, Culture and Sports, Principality of Asturias. 1986 Second prize for sculpture from the Office of Education, Culture, and Sports, Principality of Asturias. 1985 Grant from the Office of Industry and Commerce, Principality of Asturias. HIS WORK APPEARS IN THE FOLLOWING COLLECTIONS: Museum of Fine Arts, Asturias Antón Museum, Candás Office of Culture, Principality of Asturias Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (Injuve), Madrid Danae Gallery, Poully, France Kunsthausörlikon, Zurich, Switzerland Ekerby Qvarn, Uppsala, Sweden Private collections WORKS IN PUBLIC SPACES: Mural, RENFE-FEVE train station, Gijón Frisona Cow, Multiple Services Building, Government of Asturias, Oviedo Casina Cow, New Park in Lugones, Asturias Goat, la Pola Laviana Cain, City Hall of San Martin del Rey Aurelio, Asturias Biology, Oviedo City Hall OTHERS: Intimate, open discussion at in "El Luzernario", Gijón. Iberians, performance laboratory in the Culture Center of Corvera. Territories of Contagion. Bilbao Art. Lecture, University of Oviedo Director of Diaspora project. First International Encounter of Art, City of Oviedo Course in Performance with Macel-í Antúnez Producer of the project Eventa S.O.S. Nalón, Asturias |
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ExhibitMystery and EvolutionOpening Date: Nov. 20, 2002, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 20, 2002 through Jan. 5, 2002 Fundación Telefónica, Temporary Exhibit
Room Tues. through Friday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5 p.m.–
8 p.m. CataloguePhotos of the installations and texts by Luis Ángel Abad, Mercel.lí Antúnez Roca, Fernando Castro, Luciano Escanilla, Fernando Labad and Gumersindo de la Riera Díaz. Spanish and English |
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FUNDACIÓN TELEFÓNICA Office of Communications and Educational Programs Obdulio Martín Bernal (director) Carmen Mañueco (phone: 91-584-0424; Email: carmen.manuecogrinda@telefonica.es) David Felipe Arranz (phone: 91-584-4827; Email: david.arranzlago@telefonica.com) FAX: 91-532-3287 |
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