We’ve just got back from visiting Damián Ortega‘s first solo exhibition, Casino, at Milan’s HangarBicocca. This contemporary artist’s work uses everyday objects to create sculptural masterpieces and amazing installations, as well as performances and films, and this exhibition shows the various ways in which Ortega has worked over the past 20 years. The artist chose the name, casino, because in Italian the word has the meaning of “mess” or “chaos”, and he thought this was an appropriate name for an exhibition such as this one.
At the exhibition, nineteen of Ortega’s works are on display, often made from simple or even recycled materials. Cosmic Thing is perhaps the most impressive work to be found at HangarBicocca – a dismantled 1983 VW Beetle (typical of Ortega’s native Mexico) hangs from the ceiling in pieces on metal wires, looking as if it has been exploded and is now suspended in space. From all his pieces, we can clearly see that the artist is interested in production, processes, and the transformation of objects.
A selection of our images from the exhibition can be found below.
