I recently discovered artist Arles del Rio at Pulse Contemporary Art Show in Manhattan this past April. I was drawn to his uniquely powerful sculptures and quickly stopped by for more information. The sculptures alone are amazing, however, I was equally impressed with Arles’s progressive and innovative concept that gives his project “Nearness” incredible depth. After some thought, here’s my personal perspective: Arles is promoting human equality while showcasing the idea of breaking free from personal boundaries, cultural restrictions and anything that separates us from one another. When we see ourselves in another we minimize the distance between us, creating peace and acceptance. We are taught to build walls around ourselves, to see lines that divide us. When we break through this past conditioning, we are able to see the true meaning of equality and the common thread we all share ~ being human beings.
Arles created 17 sculptures from copper and steel with cut out human silhouettes of various shapes and sizes. “These panels invite participants to get close and even step through, representing metaphorically the social, political, cultural and personal boundaries, among others, that may keep us away from one another”. The process of walking through the sculptures, and being interactive, is thought provoking and essentially has the potential to shift perceptions. I am impressed with Arles’s depth and complexity and hope this project creates awareness on a large scale. His sculptures will be installed and exhibited in Times Square throughout the summer. Stop by and walk though to discover a new dimension. Click here for dates and locations.
~ Miss Kiss ~
More Info: Arlés del Rio was born on November 6th, 1975, in Havana, Cuba. He has participated in many national and international exhibitions including The XI Havana Biennial, and his public installation “Fly Away” was part of the Behind the Wall Project (Detrás del Muro) also exhibited at The XI Havana Biennial and The 8th Floor Gallery in NYC. Recently, Arlés participated in group exhibitions such as “Premio Maretti” and “Stealing Base”. He was nominated for the 2012-13 Vermont Studio Center Fellowship Award sponsored by the Reed Foundation. His work is part of private and institutional collections in several countries including the USA, Spain, Italy, France, Switzerland and Greece.
“NEARNESS” is supported by:
Cuban Arts Fund @cubanartistsfund
Rockefeller Brothers Fund @rockbrosfund
