One of the defining characteristics of contemporary art is its ability to dialogue with other realities proper of everyday life, including putting together speeches establishing a horizontal relationship with society through a preliminary investigation of the artist, resulting in a work that, while remaining open to multiple interpretations (or not) usually synthesizes an immediate reading that involves the public with the undertaken plastic action.
Seen this way, and seizing on the opportunity fostered by the 12th Biennial of Havana as visual platform for everything that happens in the Cuban scene, the personal exhibition UPPERWORLD, by Lorena Gutierrez, takes place at Servando Cabrera Moreno Gallery, on 1st A and 42nd, in Playa municipality.
From the first impression the environment structured for the sample is closely related to the fashion industry. Lorena tries to recreate a high fashion shop for the called high culture, located in what was once a renowned shopping center. Two mannequins placed in the lounge wear expensive suits of man and woman. Several photographs of models adopting over-elaborate poses and well thought scenes harmonize with the atmosphere of the place. An “ad” video is continuously repeated while the letter that makes up the music denotes certain elements to understand in the end what this UPPERWORLD is about. (Accept money, it’s a souvenir …). A shelf -key part of the exhibition-, is positioned in the background where a number of removable white collars appear impeccably arranged symbolizing, in principle, label clothes while a girl helps the viewers trying on and giving away these items.
But the perfect and significant clothing items are also containers of a line of work that typify the artist’s career, now through a series of meanings of other nature, conceptualized in the field of criminology as white collar crimes. These are executed by professional people in most cases belonging to high or middle socioeconomic classes which largely distinguish them from the called common criminals. Usually these are crimes which are considered without risk of recidivism for their authors although some have been meticulously crafted to inflict huge defalcations of money, they are usually related to the misappropriation of funds, business fraud, falsification of documents with economic value, money laundering, bribery, and therefore are condemned by the laws of any country, if not directly involving violence.
Returning to UPPERWORLD, a work conceived by its creator as a work in progress, it establishes indissoluble links with the network of networks, that is, to interact with it is necessary being connected to the web. For this Lorena devised an online page reporting delivering a neck to anyone interested in having it, they should only access the site and fill in the boxes with their personal data and then they may collect the attire as specified in the agreed conditions.
It is undoubtedly an attractive proposal collateral to the grand event of Havana!
Then don’t you wait any longer to interact with good contemporary art and click the following address: www.upperworld.lorenagutierrezcamejo.com to acquire a neck-to-measure to look more elegant and take the first step towards a higher world, full of luxury, glamour, aesthetic vanities but also full of intrigue. But ask yourself whether belonging to one of these statuses you will not be therefore inescapable participant of another one.
Photos:
Lupe González y Edgar Echavarría (opening)
Alain Cabrera (museography)
