GABRIEL SIERRA'S EXHIBITION AT CASAS RIEGNER IN BOGOTA

Gabriel Sierra's work

Gabriel Sierra, a young artist and industrial designer born in the Colombian coastal town of San Juan Nepomuceno presents “Apéndice” (Appendix), his most recent body of work consisting of onsite installations, architectural models and intervened found objects. Besides interacting with the architecture and history of the house where the gallery is located, “Apéndice” is a project that seeks to stimulate human emotions and question one’s role in life.

Sierra’s works are metaphorical manifestations of ideas that arise from real situations and experiences; in many instances, these ideas relate to the artist’s environment and to everyday living. Discarded materials referencing popular culture are transformed by Sierra into unpretentious yet curious objects that attempt to satisfy the true needs of ordinary people.

“Apéndice” is an exhibition containing works made from disparate elements joined together to create new and surprising structures that have been set up in the entrances of the different exhibition halls of the gallery. According to Sierra, the structures “function as passageways” that modify the gallery space hence the spectator’s perception of it. These transitional structures not only pose questions relating to the concept of “habitat”, they inquire into how individuals construe their own world. On view are models and objects such as clothing racks displaying fresh fruit and fruit bowls made up of rulers alluding to the normativeness governing our world. “Apéndice” is the result of Sierra’s resourcefulness and wit; above all it is as an invitation to reflect upon the relationships we establish with our surroundings.

Trained as an industrial designer, Gabriel Sierra currently lives and works in Bogotá. He has exhibited widely both on a local and international level. Selected group exhibitions include: “Doméstica”, Programa Nuevos Nombres Banco de la Republica, BLAA (2001); “Divinely”, Galeria de la Raza, San Francisco (2004); Biennale Internationale Design, Saint-Etienne (2004); 40 Salon Nacional de Artistas , Biblioteca Nacional, Bogotá (2006); “Habitat/Variations”, Batiment d´Art Contemporain, Centre d`Art Contemporain, Geneva, Switzerland (2007); “Sueño de Casa Propia” La Casa Encendida, Madrid, Spain. Sierra has exhibited individually at the Aliance Francaise in Bogotá (2004), the Centre d’Art Contemporain de Bretigny in France and at MDE07 in Medellín (2007). In addition, Sierra has been selected to participate in this year’s international exhibition of the 28 Bienal de Sao Paulo in Brazil.