Mario García Torres

For the sake of the exhibition

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Mario García Torres, For the sake of the exhibition, n.d., Water-based paint, varnish, titanium white powder, yolk, vinegar, Arabic gum and honey on cotton canvas, 147.5 x 144.3 x 3 cm. Art Jameel Collection. Photo by Sebastiano Pellion di Persano.

Artwork Details

Artist

Mario García Torres

Title

For the sake of the exhibition

Date

n.d.

Medium

Water-based paint, varnish, titanium white powder, yolk, vinegar, Arabic gum and honey on cotton canvas

Dimensions

147.5 x 144.3 x 3 cm

Credit Line

Art Jameel Collection

Work Description

For the sake of the exhibition was created following formulas written by the Italian artist Giorgio de Chirico for the preparation of canvases, and their size faithfully replicates the size of the last painting de Chirico worked on. De Chirico wrote a manuscript containing all the formulas and technical annotations for his paintings, marking a unique period in modern art where attention was more focused on the semantic and iconographic contents of artwork rather than the means through which these are expressed. These formulas provide insight into the material realm of De Chirico’s paintings, as well as his technical research. García Torres has reproduced these formulas in these two paintings, using the same materials de Chirico would have used. The exact materials that make up the formulas are noted in the medium of the artwork caption above. 

Artist Biography

Mario García Torres (b.1975, Monclova) lives and works in Mexico.

Storytelling, reenactment, report and repetition are few of the strategies Mario Garcia Torres employs in his work, uncovering histories and narratives that highlight the limitation of evidence and subjectivity of historical records. Attached to the historical settings of his projects, his works bridge the past and present by raising awareness about historical knowledge and excluded content, which often reveal the nature of memory. 

Mario Garcia has had numerous solo exhibitions over the years, including WIELS, Brussels (2019); Taka Ishi Gallery, Tokyo (2019); Walker Art Centre, Minneapolis (2018); Gallery Franco Noero, Torino (2018); Jan Mot Gallery, Brussels (2017). He has participated in international exhibitions such as Sharjah Biennial 13 (2017); Manifesta 11, Zurich (2016); Sao Paulo Bienal, Brazil (2010) and 52nd Venice Biennale (2007). Among his group exhibitions are Centre Pompidou, Paris (2014); Palais de Tokyo, Paris (2014); CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts, San Francisco (2011). His work is present in the collections of Tate Modern, Guggenheim Museum, Centre Pompidou and Stedelijk Museum.

these works.

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