Moving between abstraction and figuration, the work of the Brazilian artist, Vik Muniz proposes the creation of worlds where the appearance of things is re-signified in new images that he photographs. Muniz’s Pictures of Garbage, 2008-2011, is arguably his best-known series and was the subject of an award-winning documentary called Waste Land, 2010.
As an emphatic reading of the harsh inequalities faced by the "catadores" (rag-pickers) in Jardim Gramacho – the world’s largest dump site – the present work, criticizes our unbridled consumerism by contrasting the contents of the image with artworks from the cannon of western culture. Muniz portrays seven "catadores" working in the yard on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro through a trompe l'oeil technique using actual garbage from the yard. The meticulous technique highlights and contrasts beauty with waste. Similarly, in Jackie (Pictures of Diamonds), 2005, Muniz highlights a remarkable figure, while at the same time questioning the legitimacy of the diamond trade that goes hand-in-hand with the image.
Serge Tiroche co-founded the Tiroche DeLeon Collection in 2011, and with a unique combination of intuition and extensive knowledge, he was able to amass one of the strongest contemporary art collections of works by Latin American artists.
Over the last ten years, Serge Tiroche has been travelling to Latin America, acquiring remarkable works of art, guided not only by his own keen taste, talent and timing, but also by relying on a very meticulous process that involves continuous research and a deep understanding of the history of the continent, as well as in the development of personal relationships with artists, galleries and other cultural institutions. Through the creation of this well-respected and influential collection, Tiroche has also provided broader exposure for these artists, introducing their work to a larger, international audience.
Representing an expansive and diverse selection of the most influential artists actively working in Latin America today, a few of the esteemed names that constitute this important collection include Abraham Cruz Villegas, OSGEMEOS, Adrian Villar Rojas, Leandro Erlich and Vik Muniz. The selection of works currently on offer from the collection is representative of both well-established and more emerging artists. Working with everyday objects in a manner that intersects distinct movements like Pop art and Art Povera, these varied works heighten our perception and elicit an appreciation of our own experiences. If there is one point around which these artists may be brought together, it is that each of them approaches their work as a field of exploration, suggesting that art offers a unique way of discovering our relationship to the world, a theme that resonates today perhaps more than ever.
Concurrent Institutional Show:
Spain, Museo Universidad de Navarra,Vik Muniz, September 23, 2020 – March 21, 2021