Descripción de la Exposición
«To hold universes in our bodies» brings together the work of five female artists who reinvent women bodies creating all kinds of (im)possible universes. Appropriating the figure of the female body (and challenging traditional notions of it) the exhibition seeks to re-signify its representation and open visual paths to the complexity of the female gaze over her own body.
In the works of Christian Castañeda (MX), Lara Lars (ES), Nastasia Louveau (FR), Melodie Mousset (FR) and Nuria Riaza (ES), women bodies are drawn, painted, portrayed and modelled using a variety of techniques, mediums and formats that result in images which escape the ordinary and go from the mystical to the extraterrestrial, without leaving the personal and the political aside. Far from turning female bodies into passive objects, the specific visual language developed by each artist is used to portray bodies that open and connect with conceptual, symbolic and emotional universes.
Gathered under a title inspired by the book Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi, the exhibition has been designed as a multilayered show which will include not only the images created by the artists, but the images of the artists themselves. For this purpose, Nastasia Louveau has been invited to intervene the walls of the exhibition with the portraits of the artists and curators, as well as her self-portrait, as a way to make visible and honor the work of women in the field of art.
The live painting action by Nastasia Louveau will take place throughout the day of the opening.
About the artists:
Christian Castañeda (MX) is a visual artist best known for her work in the tattoo world, where she goes by the name Xian of the Death. Her style both as a tattoo and visual artist features very fine lines and motifs related to magic and mystical subjects. She lives and works in Mexico City // @estudiochristiancastaneda @xianofthedeath
Lara Lars (ES) started doing collages as a way to create images of women that she could relate to. Apart from the colours she uses in them, her collages are characterised by images of trophy wives from the 1950 or 1960s, which she transforms into (s)heroes by de-contextualising and emancipating them from their traditional roles. She lives and works in Madrid // @_lara_lars_
Nastasia Louveau (FR) is an artist and scholar who combines both practices in her work. She is known for making portraits of the people who give lectures at the conferences she attends, creating a visual record of the moment. Her practice, which is based on drawing, is a continuous research that expands from literature to painting, illustration and photography. She lives and works in Zürich.
Melodie Mousset’s (FR) artistic practice ranges from virtual reality to sculpture. In To Hold Universes in Our Bodies she participates with a neon sculpture, representing a female hand which is about to close as a fist. Her work usually merges personal narratives together with humor. She lives and works in Zürich // @melodiemousset
Nuria Riaza’s (ES) drawings are inspired by old photographs and characters from cinema, which she takes out of context, creating parallel realities. Her technique of realistic drawings made with blue ball-point pen has become her signature style. She lives and works in Valencia // @nuriariaza
Exposición. 17 nov de 2024 - 18 ene de 2025 / The Ryder - Madrid / Madrid, España
Formación. 23 nov de 2024 - 29 nov de 2024 / Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (MNCARS) / Madrid, España
