portafolio - 80m2 | LIVIA BENAVIDES

XIMENA GARRIDO-LECCA
Malecón Pazos 252, Barranco
Lima, Perú
(51-1) 252 9246
www.80m2galeria.com
galeria@80m2galeria.com
ARQUITECTURA DEL HUMO
80M2 Llivia Benavides
2015
The installation involves the presentation of continuously evolving processes associated with the
production of the artisanal brick. In the external gallery entrance, a fully functional furnace is
found, and upon whose roof exudes a galvanized steel duct system used to expel the heat and
smoke emitted from the kiln. The duct system tunnel enters through one of the gallery windows,
meandering the entirety of the space, breaking through from room-to-room as means of dispersion of actual and symbolic energy.
Spread out and individually presented in each room are the diverse processes involved in the manufacturing procedure of the brick; from the ground material, the pass-through shifter, the mold
emerges from this exhibition; on one side is the industrial modernist (piping) system and on the
the use of the metal duct system references to an overt industrialization of resource extraction
and manipulation, thereby marking a transition towards a mechanical method of being.
Each week throughout the duration of the show, 500 new bricks are made. There is no exact
reference as to who is producing them, but traces of their elaboration keep appearing; this includes notes, tests, structural plans, etc. Geometric structures from the newly produced bricks are
gradually erected within the gallery space, being built across the central corridor and forming
barriers. These structures are reproductions of designs employed in contemporary urban architecture for crowd control, containing and conducting mass movement therefore alluding to an
imposed model of authoritarian power. For example, airport security queuing system, riot control
maneuvers, etc.
kind of will power is being examined; one that aims to restrict the visitor’s transit and impose a
predetermined direction, a form and experience showing us the policing of the imagination.
Destilaciones
The project comprises of two components, each in dialogue with the other:
–‘Aceite de Piedra’ is a multi-screen video depicting the existing aspects of the socio – economic life of Lobitos, a small seaside town located 1,084 km north from
Lima, and its natural surroundings.
–’Destilaciones’, is an installation composed of a group of various sized ceramics pots, presented on the floor and within a steel structure. Copper pipes run
through the perforated ceramics evoking the design of an oil purifier.
Brief History of Lobitos
The extraction of oil began here at the start of the twentieth century, with the arrival of the British oil company Lobitos Oilfields Limited. The infrastructure built
alongside the plant included a desalination plant (now defunct), a church, a casino and a cinema (one of the first in Latin America), all now in ruins.
Following the 1968 military coup by General Velasco Alvarado, the Peruvian government initiated a program of nationalization and the oilfields fell under the control of the state. Soon after, the Ministry of Defense built a military base upon the adjacent land.
Sadly, thereafter the following years lead to a slow decline due to mis-management, the economic prosperity of the town slid still further until eventually collapsing,
mirroring that of the economy nationally.
Throughout this duration, these events were witnessed in parallel by different generations of fishermen living nearby in a cove very close to Lobitos.
Today, what one encounters are the ruins of buildings left by the British oil company; the debris of what used to be the old military base; and the traffic of surfers
that come every year in search of waves. Currently, the oil extraction is concessioned to South American Petroleum Exploration Tech (Sapet), a transnational company, set mainly with Chinese capital. There is also a major investment plan to privatize the town and proposing a transformation of Lobitos into a tourist resort.
The project
Lobitos is seen as a microcosm to portray different waves of colonialism and the exercise of authoritarian power within the context of a developing country. By
tracing economic and political cycles I intend to register the residue of human activity within the landscape. Environmental and social issues are presented in relation
to the modern exploitation of resources. This is juxtaposed in contrast to the localized ancient practices, such as fishing and pottery.
There is a teleological projection within the three epochs of political domination that have left their mark on Lobitos; European colonialism, the nation-state autonomy and neo-liberal globalization; each model leaving behind remnants of its failure.
This work tries to capture the fleeting feeling when confronted with Lobitos; an odd paradox when attempting to understand how such a place could come into
and out of being. Having such a close proximity to the sea yet being without a facility to provide treated water whilst simultaneously, the surrounding landscape is
dotted with gas pumps.
The work hopes to display the densely rich historical landscape of Lobitos – with its backdrop of the decaying town, the sparse desert and the ocean. Yet beyond
the clarity of this display of life cycles, and objective environmental critique there’s a historical question – what can we ask of mans ability to understand his role
on earth outside of the demands of capital accumulation?
Aceite de piedra
2014
Video instalación de dos canales
11’ 54’’
Destilaciones
2014
Cerámica, tubos de cobre,
acero y MDF
170 x 310 x 200 cm
Detalle de obra
Destilaciones
(versión chica)
2014
Cerámica, tubos de cobre, acero y MDF
Medidas variables , Aprox 170 x 160 x 180 cm.
LOS SUELOS
2014
Los Suelos es la primera exposición individual de Ximena Garrido-Lecca
en Lima. Se reúnen aquí tres obras que exploran la memoria de la tradición artesanal y el abandono del espacio rural como efecto de los procesos de modernización. Las obras continúan las investigaciones iniciada por
la artista en 2013 a través de una serie esculturas realizadas con metales
(cobre y bronce) y junco entretejidos, mezclando la crudeza del metal con
la calidez de los patrones andinos de diseño. El entrelazamiento de ambos
elementos insinúa una tensión permanente entre la herencia de la cultura
vernacular y las nuevas demandas industriales, señalando los procesos de
violencia contenidos en un modelo de aceleración económica transnacional cada vez más abiertamente enfrentado con la protección del medio
ambiente, la soberanía y el respeto a otras formas de vida en comunidad.
El video Yacimientos (2013), filmado en su mayoría en Cerro de Pasco y
en sus alrededores, observa los rastros de una ciudad cuyo espacio habitable viene siendo consumido por la expansión del socavón de una mina
a tajo abierto. El video contrasta la belleza del entorno natural (formaciones de piedra, pequeñas ruinas de adobe, andenerías, entre otros) con los
secuelas físicas de las operaciones extractivas que lentamente van devorando todo lo que se encuentra en sus inmediaciones, produciendo trastornos ambientales irreversibles. El video registra de forma enigmática y
desoladora la transformación en el paisaje arquitectónico como respuesta directa de las demandas del aparato productivo de la explotación de
yacimientos mineros en una ciudad que carece de un modelo organizado
de urbanización. Esta nueva arquitectura híbrida (muros de adobe derruidos colindando con edificios de lunas reflectantes, entre otros) da cuenta
de los dilemas culturales que surgen del impacto social de la minería en
una de las pocas ciudades del país con una tasa de crecimiento negativa.
La escultura principal de la exposición, Líneas de fuga (2014), se compone de una serie de
tubos de cobre entretejidos con junco. La obra se interroga por la producción de los tejidos
artesanales en relación con las demandas crecientes de un metal como el cobre, altamente
valorado para usos tecnológicos a causa de su alta conductibilidad eléctrica y maleabilidad.
Líneas de fuga es una estructura vertical que divide el espacio como un cerco que obstruye
y direcciona el desplazamiento de los espectadores en la sala. Su dimensión es imponente
pero al mismo tiempo frágil, y su precario equilibrio parece aludir a la propia experiencia de
moverse en una ciudad donde el espacio público termina siempre intervenido y seccionado,
El segundo video en la sala, Contornos (2014), observa precisamente aquellas formas de demarcación del espacio y los procesos sutiles de privatización de entornos naturales. El video registra distintas vallas y barreras encontradas por la ciudad: algunas colocadas de forma transitoria, otras como límite entre las operaciones
mineras y el espacio público, algunas fácilmente vulnerables, y otras agresivas e
impenetrables. A lo largo de varios minutos la cámara nos guía a través de un límite persistente en donde permanecemos siempre fuera. El audio en el video contiene partes de una conversación con Alcibiades Cristóbal, quien creció y vive en el Santuario Nacional de Huayllay, un bosque de piedras en las afueras de Cerro de Pasco.
Los suelos que registra Ximena Garrido-Lecca son un espacio de negociación y disputa, en donde la propia tierra y sus capas de historia vienen siendo literalmente removidas a la par que las lógicas campesinas son reemplazadas por un largo proceso
de proletarización de las comunidades que allí habitan. Las obras observan no solo las
secuelas físicas en el terreno sino también las dificultades para los movimientos territoriales de estas personas. Mirar los efectos de la minería en la propia tierra, en las
maneras de construir espacio público y ocuparlo, funciona en la exposición como una
pregunta persistente en torno a las apetencias de un modelo extractivista de crecimiento
económico que avanza habitualmente de espaldas a todo equilibrio ecológico y social.
Miguel A. López
Lima, junio 2014
Líneas de Fuga
2014
Tubos de cobre y junco
200 x 1600 cm (en línea recta)
Líneas de Fuga
Detalle
Los Suelos
Vista de sala
Yacimientos
2013
two-channel video
8:56 min
Edition of 3 + 1 A/P
Contornos
HD video
10’ 45’’
Edición de 3 + 1AP
Still de video
Aleaciones con memoria de forma
2013 - 2014
Aleaciones con memoria de forma IV
2014
Tubos De Cobre Y Junco / Copper Tubes & Reed
200 x 374 cm.
Detalle
Aleaciones con memoria
de forma - FM
2014
Cables eléctricos, junco, batería ,
parlante y radio.
246 x 200 cm.
Aleaciones con memoria de forma I
2013
Tubo De Cobre Y Junco / Copper Tube & Reed
66 X 53 X 15 Cm
Tropismos
Tropismos is a project based on the life of a typical market in the Colombian city of Honda. The work draws on singular elements of the market’s architecture to examine the relationships between economic, human and ecological cycles as a microcosm of society.
The marketplace in Honda, as with any other, is part of the cultural identity of the village and contains many examples of improvised solutions to basic needs. Among these are four courtyards within the Republican architecture that have been partially
covered with corrugated roofs, in order to gain more retail space. Each of these structures has a cone that funnel sunlight and
rain towards an octagonal ‘oculus’* open to the sky, above the wooden structure that supports it. Sunlight shining through the
ceiling aperture creates an intense beam that projects the octagonal shape across the floor, becoming a kind of sundial that
marks the everyday life of the market.
The title Tropismos comes from the idea of movement created by an external stimuli, for instance a plant’s gravitation to light
(photo-tropism) and water (hydrotropism) as sources of life. The work looks at the interaction of humans with their constructed environment and the natural forces of the sun, rain, and the passage of time as a form of social ‘tropism.’ The vernacular
architecture of the market becomes a stage where these movements occur.
As one of the first and most important cities for mercantile trade through the colonial period, the choice of a marketplace from
Honda carries with it a specific set of cultural references. Set within an atmospheric installation these suggest the rituals and the
eternal return of everyday life against the backdrop of contemporary life.
* The oculus is the name for the aperture in the ceiling of the Pantheon in Rome.
Tropismos
2013
Instación y video
Tropismos
2013
Video
14’ 15”
Edición de 3 + 1 A/P
Substance Turnover: American Colors
2012
Barro, paja, poliestireno, polimero, tejas,
medidor de electricidad, bombillo, planta, plastico.
Medidas variables
El Chorreo
2012
Cubetas de plástico, poliestireno expandido, polímero, acero pintado, agua.
140 x 60 x 60 cm
El Portal/ The Gate
2012
Metal, pintura, serpentina, globo.
202 x 113 x 41 cm
Sonido Laser/ Laser Sound (2012)
Barro, paja, poliestireno, polimero, emulsión,
parlantes.
222 x 230 x 30 cm
Geometría Social / Social Geometry
2011
ladrillos de concreto, ladrillos de adobe,
paneles de paja.
120 x 165 x 193 cm
Tombola
2011
Periódico, envoltura de caramelo, fósforos.
118 x 104 x 58 cm
Resistant Shapes: Cilindrical Planes
2012
Latas de aceite, pintura al óleo, madera, cuerda, clavos
205 x 390 x 69 cm
Divergent Lots
2012
49 impresiones Giclee sobre papel, enmarcado.
Edición de 3 + 1 A/P.
95 x 126 cm

Balance I
2013
Resina, pigmentos, bolsas de
plástico
26 x 26 x 26 cm
Ocean pacific
2012
Fired clay, polymer, straw, baseball cap. 13 x 79 x 31 cm
Artefactos / Artefacts
2014
Óleo sobre panel de bambú.
193 x 133 cm
Power
2014
Óleo sobre panel de bambú.
193 x 133 cm
Composition II
2012
Sacos de rafia
400 x 300 cm
Peldaños
2011
Metal, madera
59 x 80 x 72 cm
Una Gruesa de Chullos
2012
Hand-coloured photocopy on accountancy paper.
Part of a 144 series- each one unique.
42 x 30 cm. each one
Ximena Garrido-Lecca
Born in Lima, 1980 Lives and works in Lima and London
Education
Solo Exhibitions
Group Exhibitions
2003 - 2004 MA Fine Arts,
Byam Shaw School of Art at
Central Saint Martins, London
2014
MATE, Asociación Mario Testino, Lima,
Peru
2001 - 2002 Post-Graduate
Course Fine Arts, Byam Shaw
School of Art, London
2013
Galería Casado Santapau, Madrid, Spain
Pinta Projects, Pinta Art Fair, London, UK
2014
Bienal de Cartagena de Indias, Cartagena de Indias,
Colombia
The Central Academy of Fine Arts Museum
(CAFAM) Biennale, Beijing, China
Bienal de Cuenca, Cuenca, Ecuador
1997 - 2001 BA Fine Arts,
Catholic University of Peru,
Lima
2012
MIMA - Middlesbrough Institute of
Modern Art, UK. Curated by Pablo Leon
de la Barra. [Part of ¡Vamos! festival]
Paisaje Antrópico, Max Wigram Gallery,
London, UK
2011
El Porvenir, Mimmo Scognamiglio, Milan,
Italy Solo booth with Revolver Gallery
at Frame, Frieze Art Fair, London, UK
2010
The Followers, Civic Room, London
2013
ICASTICA 2013 – International Biennale of Art,
Arezzo, Italy
Paraíso en Blanco, 80m2 Livia Benavides, Lima, Perú
LARA (Latin American Roaming Art) project. NC
Arte, Bogotá, Colombia
2012
Remesas: 13 artistas peruanos en el exterior, El
Centro Fundación Telefónica,
Lima, Peru. Curated by Rodrigo Quijano
The Curator’s Egg.Altera Pars.,Anthony Reynolds
Gallery, London, UK
2011
No Color in Your Cheeks Unless the Wind Lashes
Your Face, Online Exhibition, curated by Timothée
Chaillou
Newspeak: British Art Now,The Gallery of South
Australia,Adelaide
What?, Galleria Mimmo Scognamiglio
Artecontemporanea, Milan, Italy
2010
Identity Theft, Mimmo Scognamiglio, Milan, Italy
Newspeak: British Art Now, Saatchi Gallery,
London, UK
2009
Plus,Volume Projects, London
Tail Devourer, Bash Studios, London
2008
Culture Clash,Working Rooms, London
2007
The Gunslinger and OtherTrue Stories,AA Galleries,
Berlin, Germany
Weimar, Cordy House, London
The Princess and the Absent Fan,V22, London
W. S. Bartlett:A Retrospective,W.S. Bartlett, London
2006
The Works of Others,The Whitechapel Library,
London
The Banquet,The Crypt Gallery, London Grey Card,
Bartlett’s Gallery, London Wasting Time,The Crypt
Gallery, London
2005
Tertulia,The Arts Gallery, London Minotaur,
Bearspace, London
Mimesis, House Gallery, London
Suite, Great Eastern Hotel, London
2004
Gin or Tonic,The Empire Gallery, London Catharsis,
Kingsgate Gallery, London
2003
Casa Tomada, Lucia de la Puente Gallery, Lima, Peru
Awards and residencies
2012
LARA (Latin American Roaming Art) project,
Asiaciti Trust, Honda, Colombia
Bibliography
2013
“Harper’s Bazaar: Agenda”, Harper’s Bazaar,
October 2013 Dolores Galindo, “El arte
latinoamericano se pasea por la capital
británica”
El Iberico, Pinta Art Fair special issue, 30th May
2013, pp. 15–16
Channel 4 News, Art Wars, 29th
Uscha Pohl, “The Progressive Walls. Ximena October 2010
Garrido-Lecca”,VERY Magazine, issue n. 16
Pablo Leon de la Barra, Centre for Aesthetic Rachel Campell-Jonston, TheTimes
Revolution, 14th January 2011
Playlist, Newspeak: British Art Now
Part II. 23rd-29th October 2010.
Fahrenheito Contemporary Arts Magazine
(published during Zona Maco, Mexico)
Page 21 Artnet, 8th October 2010
2012
Tuesday Gutierrez, Interview with Ximena
Pablo Leon de la Barra,“Ximena Garrido-Lecca
Garrido-Lecca, Momardi Blog, 1st June 2011
at MIMA”, Centre for the Aesthetic Revolution,
June 2012
Ode to These, Blog, January 2011
The One Show, BBC ONE, 26th January
Margherita Dessanay,“Postcards from a
2011
Transitional Space”, Elephant Magazine, issue
#10, Spring
2010
Joaquin Rabago, El Pais, Una pared de
Sanctuary: Britain’s Artists and their Studios, ed.
nichos en nueva exposicion de Saatchi, 26th
by Amirsadeghi, H.,Thames&Hudson, London
October 2010
Christina Sanders, thefourohfive.
com Art Guide, 9th May 2010
Artnet, 14th April 2010
2009
Casas, La Galeria de Ximena
Garrido- Lecca, 2009, page 24
2003
Luis E. Lama, Caretas, Mi Chica
Almodovar, 6th March 2003, page 63
Hobson’s Choice: Ximena Garrido-Lecca
James Lindley and Olivia Nairn, murmurart.
at Max Wigram Gallery, Contemporary Art
com, Newspeak part II at The Saatchi Gallery, Carlo Trivelli, EL COMERCIO,
Society
25th November 2010
Casatomada, 2nd March 2003
Dolores Galindo, El Iberico, Contraste y
Helen Sumpter, British Art Now,Time Out Expreso, Secuestro Artistico, 1st
simbolismo en reconocimiento a otras
online, 5th November 2010
March 2003, page 22
culturas,17th April 2012
The Telegraph,The British Art Show,
2011
Nottingham/ Newspeak II, Saatchi Gallery
Rachel Spence, Online interview “Ximena
(review) 1st November 2010
Garrido-Lecca prepares for Frieze”, http://artsextra.ft.com/videos