Angles of Incredulity

Dimensions Variable (DV) presents a solo project titled Angles of Incredulity by Ariel Orozco. Ariel Orozco's practice embarks on a journey across the surface of things, yet his primary interest lies in looking inside—in experiencing materials as if they were about to disappear. His work captures reflections in passing and headlights coming toward him on the road, or the perfume of a stranger that makes him think of someone else. For Orozco, everything is too fragile to take seriously and too fast to catch. He keeps walking and hurries on, because night is almost here. Working within a diverse array of mediums, Orozco moves seamlessly between performance, painting, installation, and video in his conceptually driven practice. Often taking the form of interventions or actions, his work reflects on overlooked interactions of everyday life by providing new or alternative perspectives on the seemingly mundane. His work deals with issues of plenitude and scarcity, evoking both desire and lack, while weaving disjointed narratives with no plot or end, leading the viewer on a meandering mental path and inviting imaginative whimsy. In his seminal performance Yo paso por la ciudad y la ciudad pasa por mi (2005), Orozco walked the streets of Mexico City for three days asking members of the public to swap their clothing for what he was wearing. By repeatedly making this request, he navigated a complex network of social and economic classes, connecting them with an unusual form of material exchange and highlighting some of the stark differences between them. Encompassing the profoundly personal to the completely public, Orozco nevertheless imbues his work with a compassion that is universal. Daily rituals, such as drinking a beer, having a conversation with a friend, or simply walking through the city without a specific destination, can become the starting point for a work of art. His resulting objects and documentation derive from actions or their notion—formal and conceptual syntheses of his relationship with people, places, things, times, and events. This exhibition is sponsored by the Audrey Irmas Foundation for Social Justice. Ariel Orozco (b. 1979, Sanctus Spiritus, Cuba) received his MFA from the Instituto Superior de Arte in Havana in 2005. His work has been shown at galleries, museums, and art fairs worldwide. It is included in such collections as Colección Jumex, the Zabludowicz Collection, and the Museo de Arte Moderno, México. Working within a diverse array of mediums, Ariel Orozco moves seamlessly between performance, painting, and installation in his conceptually driven practice. Often taking the form of interventions or actions, his work reflects on those overlooked interactions of everyday life by providing a new or alternative perspective on the seemingly mundane. Encompassing the profoundly personal to the completely public, he nevertheless imbues his work with a compassion that is universal. Always seeking to give his audience an awareness of the people and things that surround us, his artwork provides moments of contemplation to reflect on the vagaries and marvels of life. Deeply symbolic and startlingly simple, Orozco’s work speaks a universal language accessible to all.