We would like to invite you to come in, have a glass of mezcal or Mexican wine, and explore the works we have in the permanent exhibition of "Dos Cuerpos." In this short article, we will tell you a bit more about the artists we have on display at the Dos Cuerpos gallery.
Benjamín Alcántara
We must begin with the official photographer of Dos Cuerpos. An artist with a broad background, with a clear and practical objective, based on a marked worldview. His latest project confirms what was said before. It's a documentary called "Hephaestus' Universe," created with the assistance of the National System of Art Creators.
The photographs showcase landscapes, portraits of Mexican workers, and manual processes that create the instruments we use day by day in Mexico. This testimony of reality captures contexts and trades that often go unnoticed or that simply don't have the opportunity to be witnessed. It portrays skills and knowledge that are distributed throughout the country and the contexts in which they were developed. Personally, this justifies the added value of many products we take for granted, aiming to raise awareness and properly compensate these jobs.
The title is intriguing because it alludes to a deity that represents consistency, skill, resilience, and strength to produce what sets us apart from animals: the tool. After all, what have the wheel, the printing press, or gunpowder been if not tools to dominate the world as a species? And, almost poetically, Benjamin uses the digital camera, the quintessential modern tool, to provoke these types of reflections and immortalize the humans he portrays. At the same time, he proposes a beauty absent in industrial processes, which is why we believe his work and the mission of Dos Cuerpos overlap.
We invite you to appreciate his work at:
Elena De Victoria
The photography of Elena De Victoria has had a strong start in her artistic career with various projects that highlight her connection with natural and urban spaces.
Personally, her photographs are elegant in every sense of the word. Elegance in the rocky textures, making them feel like scars, the kind you fondly remember. Elegance in the almost saturated subtlety of colors that would normally hit aggressively; she dilutes them, soothes them, and recognizes where the color fits best.
One day, sitting in the store, a young foreigner, traveling without money but curious, came into the shop asking many questions. So, I told him about the project, our objectives, its relevance to Mexican culture and society, while the young man observed the exhibited works. Then I saw him stand in front of the Joshua Tree photograph and he smiled so genuinely that I stopped talking. Suddenly, the two of us stood there in front of the photograph, smiling like two kids who had just pulled a prank or something. The guy started laughing, finding the photograph brilliant, and he told me that, for him, it was comedy. I share this anecdote because when I hung up the picture, it seemed elegant and subtle to me, as I mentioned earlier. But as soon as the guy smiled, I understood the subtle humor and complexity of Elena De Victoria's works.
We share her Instagram for you to appreciate her work:
@elenadevictoria
Yolanda Mora
Yolanda Mora is a contemporary artist who has positioned herself as one of the top visual artists in the country. A student of Visual Arts at ENAP, UNAM, she has received various awards such as the Acquisition Award in the Second National Visual Arts Biennial (2004); Painting Award in the FEMSA Biennial (2000), and has been recognized with the FONCA Grant for Young Creators (1991) and the Creator's Grant on four different occasions. Finally, she received an honorable mention in the XVI Rufino Tamayo Painting Biennial with her work "Cascada."
Her work has been described as intuitive, seeking painting for the sake of painting itself. I fully agree with this, but it has also been said that she is distant from narration and anecdote. This is interesting because it allows us to explore her work as poetic pieces. Some literary critics might not agree with me saying this, but what I mean is that Mora's painting imitates significant condensation in each of her strokes. She trusts her pulse as she trusts the natural chaos that orders the world. But that's just one interpretation. As some critics have described it: She gambles on chance, repeating accident after accident.
We share a few selected exhibitions:
2011 "Sobre el Azar" (About Chance), Drexel Gallery, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
2008 "Obra reciente" (Recent Work), Martín Geir Galerie, Merano, Italy
2007 "El Olvido" (The Forgetfulness), Institute of Graphic Arts Oaxaca, IAGO
2006 "Infinito Blanco" (Infinite White), Aldabarte Gallery, Mexico City, Mexico
Selected group exhibitions:
2014 "Parábola" (Parable), Taller de Arte Contemporáneo, TACO, Mexico City
2013 "Pintura" (Painting), Metropolitana Gallery, UAM, Mexico City
2012 "Obra en construcción" (Work in Progress), Casa del Virrey de Mendoza, Mexico City
2011 "Ojo de Papel" (Eye of Paper), Espacio Monograma, Mexico City
We share our favorite painting by Mora. It's a canvas:
Here are her Instagram and website links for you to delve deeper into her work:
Instagram:
Colectivo Ananas:
The Colectivo Ananas, a project created by Marva Studio, aims to create crafts that allow us to connect with our roots. It's a community of Mexican artisans who craft contemporary designs using traditional techniques.
Each of their pieces intends to be symbols representing the art and agriculture that define Mexican culture. In this way, they have established the pineapple symbol as the main representative object of the project, which has always signified unity, shared abundance, and hospitality. At Dos Cuerpos, we love them because the crowns of their pineapples remind us of the maguey plants that we cherish. Among their variety of pieces based on this symbol are glazed and dwarf pineapples, giant pineapples called Ananas Gigantes, Capota, Dijon, Azhulada, Mestiza Gigante, Esmeralda, Gigantes de Michoacán, Sandras, La Joya de la Corona, and many more. On the other hand, they have other pieces such as their irregularly enameled fruit bowls, Toño candleholders, sets of Pellizco pitchers, polished clay pieces, flowery spheres, bases, vases, and one of our favorites, the Special Marciana pieces. Finally, they also create pieces that illuminate and transform any space into a place of inspiration, like their Gaby, Estela, Elena lamps, and the Esperanza lamps. In essence, all the pieces you encounter from this collective symbolize support and affection, legacy, and tradition.
These artisanal pieces possess character and elegance, which is why we've incorporated them into our space. They exude the strength and sensitivity we aim to convey. To us, their pineapples symbolize learning and the importance of consciously appreciating art. The designs by Colectivo Ananas present a captivating visual language that reminds us patience and continuous effort are always necessary in the creation and preservation of culture and traditions. In essence, they respect the path of creation, observing the process without imposing it, allowing the objectives to naturally emerge. These pieces serve us not only to add color and originality to our space but also as a form of visual therapy.
The idea of seeking a semiotic equality between art and craftsmanship is something we strive for at DC, and it's precisely what this collective is achieving. Each of their pieces expresses innovative intention, with meticulous attention to detail. This is incredibly valuable as the collective works to revalue Michoacan art, bestowing the deserved qualitative value upon artisanal works. This project is part of a generational mindset that seeks to elevate our cultural heritage through the very hands that have shaped us. The goal is to preserve symbols, techniques, and finishes that define Mexican craftsmanship.
Finally, we're proud to promote a project that reciprocates with the people and communities it collaborates with. Their most recent socially impactful endeavor was a Christmas collection they organized last December to donate toys, blankets, and food to the community of San José de Gracia in Michoacán. This demonstrates the collective's strong commitment to its community members and their desire to contribute to the well-being of artisans and Mexican families.
Some of the artisans who are part of this collective include Don Chema, the eldest of the Alejos brothers, and Doña Cecilia, the pillar of Casa Rosa. They work by hand and alongside each other, creating textures that reflect the physicality of the hands shaping the clay. They skillfully manipulate the firing process and implement endless possibilities of glazes. This approach results in designs that have become emblems of emerging Mexican art.
All of their pieces can be customized in terms of size and color. Here's an article where Colectivo Ananas is mentioned, along with their social media for you to explore their work:
Article "Las artes decorativas de México son reconocidas en una nueva feria en París" by Santiago Villaseñor: https://elle.mx/elle-deco/2021/09/08/artes-decorativas-mexico-reconocidas-nueva-feria-paris#:~:text=El%20debut%20de%20Xantico%20ser%C3%A1,al%2016%20de%20septiembre%202021.
Instagram: https://instagram.com/arte.ananas?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Don't hesitate to visit our location to enjoy the many things we want to share with you at Dos Cuerpos. We're located at Emilio Dondé #7, Colonia Centro, almost in front of the Biblioteca México and next to the Ciudadela. Stay tuned for the inclusion of other contemporary artists, and remember that you can inquire about any artwork with us.
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