Very good
Happiness has become a utopia in these times. Through constant bombardment, we've been led to believe that total happiness is possible and obligatory. Happiness has become a situation that has to be achieved, a heartburn, a lack of happiness as a source of suffering. Happiness is the promise that late capitalism has sold us, if we have faith in development, what we will achieve if we follow its path. Maider Aldasoro Diazen Aurre Goxo is a denial of false faith and promises that, while claiming the happiness and hedonism of small things, wants to draw attention to the dark side of desire.
Exhibition ‘In front of Goxo’ When: 16
September / 10 October
Where: Centre Azkuna in Bilbao
The Donostiarra artist has gathered in this exhibition the pieces she has created since 2018. Although they are works motivated by different moments and motivations, there is a thread that unites them. The title is taken from a tale of the Pumpkin Tripontzi, in which hungry sheep, guided by the promise that the herb that is later on will be sweeter, continually advances instead of eating what is in front of them.
The welcome piece is a video projected on the ground, in which Maider Aldasoro Díaz appears jumping in a gigantic swing built by her in an abandoned factory. This piece perfectly describes the purpose of the artist, who has found a place for the enjoyment and pleasure of life in an old abandoned factory, on the edge of the road, in a place forgotten by society after fulfilling its role. The temple, built to worship the god of productivity, has become a place of play. Among the jumps, the artist reflects on who he wants to be. He decides that his next intention is to fly and manufactures for that purpose the two main pieces of the exhibition: the gigantic black wings.
The choice of wing color is not bleak, as desire also has its dark side. In this regard, the artist wants to draw attention to his other pieces: the lies of romantic love and the toxic relationships and dynamics among his friends. Desire can also be a jail, a chain that binds us to a lie. Thus, he has linked the eternal kisses to anxieties; he has represented romantic love as a burden we carry on our back; and he has taught us that games between friends can end up in an unbearable competition. All these feelings are perfectly conveyed with the artifacts and costumes he has created, making it clear that play and fantasy can become a condemnation.
Tired of promises, about to starve to death, the story of Kalabaza Tripontzi ends up eating the grass of the sheep of the story. Because what's in front of you, what's in every moment, will be the sweetest herb. When they have been able to say yes to their wishes, when they have rejected empty promises, they have satisfied their appetite.
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