PAULA DELGADO: These Krasni Czechs
23 Nov - 16 Dec 2009
video still from These Krasni Czechs,
2008, Prague
2008, Prague
view of the video installation from
These Krasni Czechs
hunt kastner, 2009
These Krasni Czechs
hunt kastner, 2009
Paula Delgado galería parásito/...
These Krásný Czechs
24/11 – 16/12/09
galería parásito/h u n t k a s t n e r are pleased to present “These Krasný Czechs” by Paula Delgado, a new series of work in the artist’s ongoing project “How Come You Are So Beautiful”, which was realized as part of the 2nd year Micro Residenicas program organized by Galería parásito/... in Prague.
International residencies are a fundamental part of a contemporary art practice. For the 2009 Micro Residencias project, galería parásito/... invited the Uruguayan artist Paula Delgado to come to Prague for a 2-month residency during the months of October and November, to work on a Czech version for her ongoing series “Cómo sos tan lindo” (How Come You Are So Beautiful), which previously has been realized in Montevideo, Buenos Aires, Valparaiso, Vienna, Barcelona and London. The Prague presentation at galería parásito/h u n t k a s t n e r , which includes video and photographs, will feature the new Czech version of the project – These Krasní Czechs – that will be presented as a work-in-progress alongside examples of some of her other previous works (Montevideo, Valparaiso, London, Johannesberg). “Cómo sos tan lindo” (How Come You Are So Beautiful), which the artist began to work on in 2005, explores a man’s self-perception with respect to masculine beauty. The project begins in each different place by placing an advertisement in the local papers: “Casting. Attractive men needed for photos.” The artist then invites those who reply to pose for a photo session and a short interview in a hotel room – the participants are volunteers and knew that they would receive for no payment. The resulting discussions turn around the concept of beauty, the relationship between a man and his body, and the various constructions of masculinity.
For the Czech version an interpreter was used for the ensuing interviews, but the artist was alone with the participants in the hotel room during the initial photo-sessions. Paula Delgado lives and works in Montevideo, Uruguay. Her work has been exhibited in galleries and museums throughout Latin American, Europe, North America and in Africa. Her most recent projects have been included in Adding Substractions, The Bag Factory Studios, Johannesburg, South Africa (2009), and Skin is Longing for a Cream, MuseumsQuartier, Vienna, Austria (2008) (where, respectively, she was invited to create South African and Austrian versions of said beauty product).
The Micro Residencias project was made possible through the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the City of Prague and Art Hotel Prague.
.........................................................................
galería parásito/... is a public, not-for-profit organization founded in the Czech Republic in 2007. Its main objective is to overcome the financial difficulties associated with maintaining a gallery space. As a parasite, it survives by collaborating with other existing exhibition spaces and institutions. The absence of a physical space allows it adapt projects to all of the possibilities of the “host” space. The principal mission of galería parásito/... is to create a platform for cultural exchange that facilitates communication between artists and
curators, and the creation of innovative projects in the field of visual art.
www.galerieparasito.com
These Krásný Czechs
24/11 – 16/12/09
galería parásito/h u n t k a s t n e r are pleased to present “These Krasný Czechs” by Paula Delgado, a new series of work in the artist’s ongoing project “How Come You Are So Beautiful”, which was realized as part of the 2nd year Micro Residenicas program organized by Galería parásito/... in Prague.
International residencies are a fundamental part of a contemporary art practice. For the 2009 Micro Residencias project, galería parásito/... invited the Uruguayan artist Paula Delgado to come to Prague for a 2-month residency during the months of October and November, to work on a Czech version for her ongoing series “Cómo sos tan lindo” (How Come You Are So Beautiful), which previously has been realized in Montevideo, Buenos Aires, Valparaiso, Vienna, Barcelona and London. The Prague presentation at galería parásito/h u n t k a s t n e r , which includes video and photographs, will feature the new Czech version of the project – These Krasní Czechs – that will be presented as a work-in-progress alongside examples of some of her other previous works (Montevideo, Valparaiso, London, Johannesberg). “Cómo sos tan lindo” (How Come You Are So Beautiful), which the artist began to work on in 2005, explores a man’s self-perception with respect to masculine beauty. The project begins in each different place by placing an advertisement in the local papers: “Casting. Attractive men needed for photos.” The artist then invites those who reply to pose for a photo session and a short interview in a hotel room – the participants are volunteers and knew that they would receive for no payment. The resulting discussions turn around the concept of beauty, the relationship between a man and his body, and the various constructions of masculinity.
For the Czech version an interpreter was used for the ensuing interviews, but the artist was alone with the participants in the hotel room during the initial photo-sessions. Paula Delgado lives and works in Montevideo, Uruguay. Her work has been exhibited in galleries and museums throughout Latin American, Europe, North America and in Africa. Her most recent projects have been included in Adding Substractions, The Bag Factory Studios, Johannesburg, South Africa (2009), and Skin is Longing for a Cream, MuseumsQuartier, Vienna, Austria (2008) (where, respectively, she was invited to create South African and Austrian versions of said beauty product).
The Micro Residencias project was made possible through the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the City of Prague and Art Hotel Prague.
.........................................................................
galería parásito/... is a public, not-for-profit organization founded in the Czech Republic in 2007. Its main objective is to overcome the financial difficulties associated with maintaining a gallery space. As a parasite, it survives by collaborating with other existing exhibition spaces and institutions. The absence of a physical space allows it adapt projects to all of the possibilities of the “host” space. The principal mission of galería parásito/... is to create a platform for cultural exchange that facilitates communication between artists and
curators, and the creation of innovative projects in the field of visual art.
www.galerieparasito.com