Ivan Argote – A Solo Exhibition of “Deep Affection” That Inspires Ideas

Text/Chen Chi-Hsiang | Dates: June 2 to July 28 | Venue: Perrotin Gallery

Ivan Argote (b. 1983) is a rising young South American artist born in Colombia into a left-leaning family. He realized at a young age the profound impact of politics, society, and history on individual lives. In today’s multimedia cross-disciplinary landscape, he explores conceptual series through video, text, photography, sculpture, performance, and film, examining social and political conditions under globalization. His art investigates the relationship between history, politics, and the construction of personal subjectivity, as well as our relationships with others. It engages society critically and dialectically to stimulate thought, such as his 2009 presentation at the Monterrey Contemporary Art Exhibition on "questions about how to live together and the power and history in our daily lives."

In this solo exhibition "Deep Affection," Argote presents poetry regarding our relationship with history and sociological and political discussions with others. The exhibition unfolds from an icon in a major encyclopedia published in 1493, "Another's Idea (Nuremberg Chronicle)," depicting a nude figure squatting on the ground, notably with deformed feet pointing upward. The artist intends to build a system around this image to find the origins of opposing concepts, forming the core of this show.

In the main hall, a video titled "As Much As Possible" connects two geographically contrasting cities: Neiva, Colombia, and Palembang, Indonesia, linking their geographical environments and daily life situations. It implicitly articulates a post-colonial critical historical voice of "another's idea." The video unfolds along an axis where audio and visual elements are separated; the artist uses this mirroring axis to encourage reflection on how we view each other.

As the chapters unfold and the video ends, the lights come on, and viewers step onto large floor installations ("About a Place") featuring pink concrete slabs engraved with poetry. We question the status of the space we occupy in intimate, ethical, and political ways. The situations they face are sometimes contradictory and complex, such as the exhibition space or the broader geopolitical location. Our relationship with context holds meaning that we can shape, critique, and debate.

On the wall of the main room hangs a small statue titled "Proud," with arms crossed and deformed feet pointing upward, looking down arrogantly in the space. It offers a touch of humor and challenges people's perspectives, illustrating relationships with others. In an era of global homogenization and representation, being different becomes uniqueness; being proudly different makes difference a new value. Clearly, from his early focus on interactions involving "the Other, Me, and Others," it is evident that relationships with others have always been central to Argote's work. Thus, three statues of "Another's Idea" titled "Proud" accompany us in this exhibition.

Two major conceptual series are explored: the "Skin" series emphasizes the body and touch as tools for reflection. Skin is the surface and interior of the flesh, the threshold between inside and outside. On cement panels, slogans are pieced together and deconstructed, emphasizing bodily concepts and political thought, creating a contact that diagnoses eroticism. The artist evokes tenderness, using the body and touch as instruments of reflection, as seen in works like "Skin - With Us," "Close to My Eyes," and "Skin Melts. Our Bodies Melt." Another sculptural work, the "Building Systems" series, features written slogans placed on mesh boards. These pieces systematically establish relationships between events, ideas, and impacts, history, politics, and the construction of personal subjectivity, such as in "Building a System - Impact and Events" and "Building Systems - Limiting Ideas."

Three family album photos with a slight purple tint show the artist as a child accompanying his father in demonstrations, teaching them acts of justice and rebellion, which inspired his life. Finally, seven short videos titled "As Much As Possible Solidified" include the notable "Memories of Reddishblue," narrating stories of the strong political activism and actions of the artist's parents. These deeply influenced the artist's awareness of land, humanity, and history in the world, as well as reflections on the Other, emitting powerful visual and auditory force. It seems only art allows the music to end but not disperse, lingering in the heart forever.

Note: This short article refers to the press release for Ivan Argote's solo exhibition "Deep Affection."