As a young boy, artist Abraham Cruzvillegas saw improvisation all around him in the architecture of the Mexico City neighborhood where he grew up; people built houses from whatever materials happened to be available.
Cruzvillegas' new interactive exhibit "Hi, How are you, Gonzo?", now open at the Aspen Art Museum, celebrates found objects, creativity and play.
Three of his “Blind Self-Portraits” are on display in the exhibit. Step close to the different sized painted rectangles that make up the works, and you’ll see that they’re actually sugar packets, business cards and flyers.
The exhibit invites participation. At a preview earlier this week, viewers cranked bright red air-raid sirens in front of a graph showing the number of apprehensions of unaccompanied minors at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Cruzvillegas describes his work as autoconstrucción, or “self-construction.” The sculptures in the exhibit, made of everything from street signs to empty kegs, will change during weekly activations and workshops the museum plans to hold. These will involve visiting performance artists from Mexico City, as well as local community members.
“Hi, how are you, Gonzo?” is open through January.
