Vivid: Childhood memories brought to life
By Jo Phillips
There is a certain sense of nostalgia when thinking of childhood. One thing that comes to mind are games. The memories are vivid of the often simple toys and games that consumed most of our time.
Legendary contemporary French artist, Daniel Buren brings this nostalgia to life with his new solo exhibition at Museo Espacio in Aguascalientes, Mexico. The exhibition, titled Como un juego de niño, which translates to ‘Like a child’s play’ is a reminder of the artist’s tendency to adapt to the language of the country in which he exhibits. In this exhibition, situated in the Mexican city, he adopts the Spanish language. This format is similar to his previous exhibitions Comme un jeu d’enfant, travails in situ at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Strassburg (MAMCS and Come un gioco da bambini at the Museum MADRE in Naples.
The exhibition itself, features over 100 of his pieces which comprise of various life-size shapes that work to imitate childhood games- the fusion of stark lines and brightly coloured geometric shapes reflects both the carefree nature of childhood envisioned in the structural nature of adulthood.
Buren’s work is often connected to spaces and the environment. Thinking about that, Buren, who is not native to Mexico, makes his art in collaboration with the exhibiting country, as he works in situ meaning that the work is created on site for each exhibition. This exhibition combines art, architecture and presents both the past and present. The bold colours then, not only reflect the childlike nature of play but also reference the rich and colourful history of Mexico.
“Like a child’s play ” , 2014. Daniel Buren & ADAGP Paris / Courtesy Space Museum , ICA 2016 / Photography : Beto Gutierrez.
This is the second exhibition at the newly opened Museo Espacio. The exhibition is currently open and runs until October 2nd 2016. More information is available here.
