8/9/2019 Interview With Argentine Artist Alejandro Bovo Theiler

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InterviewwithAlejandroBovoTheiler:EnglishTranslationAlejandroBovoTheiler:FirstImgoingtotellyouwhereweare,letsstartbysettingthestage:WeareinLaguanacazulsexhibitionroominSanTelmo,Defensa677.ImAlejandroBovoTheiler,avisualartistfromLaFalda,Crdoba.HeretodayweareopeningthisshowentitledChiCommanda?,meaningWhorules?inItalian.Soifyoudliketo,wecanlookarounditandreflectaboutthewor

k,itsmeaning,thewayitsproduced,Iminterestedinexchange.Question:Allthesecharacters,aretheychallengingauthorityoraretheysomehowsettingsomethingelse,somethingdifferentout?A.B.T.:No,no,no.Theonlychallengeherehastodowithreflection,thereisntasenseofthinkingauthorityasrebelliousness,notatall.Theideaistothinkabout,toreflectwhatauthorityis,howitcomesintobeing.AndIdepartformcertainconceptsIthinkIcarryouteveryday.Imnotinterestedinclosingdownthatconcept,butinopeningitup,byposingthequestionWhorules?thatIaskinthecatalogstext,becauseIthinkitforcesthespace,makesitcurve,generatesabodywherewecaninhabittheexperience,butnotbygivinga

closedconcept.ThisisingeneralwhatIminterestedininvisualarts,thefactthattheworkisnotjustconstructedinthemontagestudio,butthatitbeginstobeawork(ofart)withsomeoneelse

sreading.Q:Soyouareasking,notjustabouttheactionofruling,butabouttheactionofbeing.A.B.T.:Yes,becauseitsnotproposedasamysterytosolve,toseewhosruling,buttothinkaboutthesenseofruling,departingfromaquestionthatcanbeincidental.So-and-soruleswoudntbeananswer.Q:Soyourquestionisaboutidentity.

A.B.T.:Immoreinterestedinposinganotherquestionasananswer:Whodoesntrule?AndthatswhyIworkwiththisideawhereIandWeappearasanaphabeticlanguage.TheIisthischaracter(heshowsit)andtheWeisanobjectinthecentreoftheroom,achair.WhenIworkwiththisIandthisWeIamsearchingfortwothingstobecomeliteral:thatthereisanIandaWethatarentsplit,theyarediversebecausetheyappearatdifferingdistances,buttheyarethesameinthesenseoffeedback.Before,acolleguewasaskingmeaboutthephilososphy,theauthors.Ingeneral,Ithinkthattheparadigmofevolutionforthissocietyconsistsinbeingabletothinkofothernessastheonlypossible,realwayofcreatingbonds.

Q:Weknowthedollisafetish,moneyisafetish(pointingtoadollwhosechestiscoveredincoins).A.B.T.:ThefirstthingthatIrecommendanyonewhowatchesthisinterviewisthattheyshouldcometoseetheexhibitfirst.BecausethereadingsIammakingofmyownworkarepoor.Ithinktheworkitselfisalwaysricherthanthereadingthat,aboveall,theauthorcanmake.Ithinktheauthorsisadevelopingreading,conditioned,disguisedasobjective,butabsolutelyconditioned.ThatswhyIsaytheworkbecomesawork(ofart)whentheotherviewsit,readsit,because,literally,itsthereadingthatinstallsitatthelevelofreality,thelevelofthevitalrealityofmeanings.Anditreinforcestheambiguitythataworkneedsinordertoberead.

Well,inthiscase,thinkingThisyear,asacountrywecelebrateapoliticallyrelevantdateastheBicentenary(ofthefirstArgentinenationalgovernment),thefoundationofanation.Herethecoinscanappearasadetailaboutthat,bu

8/9/2019 Interview With Argentine Artist Alejandro Bovo Theiler

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talsoasasocialreflectionorasanewmeaningofacurrentanddailyobject,while,atthesametime,manyotherthings.Ilikethatambiguity.Totellthetruth,ifIhadfelt,atmakingit,thatImreallysayingonethingQ:Youwouldnthavebeeninterestedindoingit.A.B.T.:Itwouldnthaveworkedbecauseitblockstheprocess.

Q:Sure.A.B.T.:Theprocessisopenwhenithasadegreeofambiguity.Ibelievethatwhenthespectatorsposibilitiestogetdisplacedareincreased,theniftheyarestill,theycandisplace.ThisisacrucialpointwherevisualartsareirreplaceableIwouldaskpeopleChiCommanda?(Whorules?)and,well,makingsurethatthereisnotoneexpectedresponsetotheChiCommanda?question.Therearemorequestionsand,assomewisepeoplesay,itsquestionsthatreallymatter.Ofcourse,

itsagoodthingthatvisualartsleadtoreflection.Ithinkonethingistorespecttheambiguityoftheconstructiontomakethemeaningopen,butitsalsogoodtositaroundandtalkaboutwhatyousee.Becausethisgivesvisualartsasocialaim,butnotjustsocial,alsoaffectiveandpolitical,deeplypolitical,thatistobeabletolisten.Andtobeable,nottodiscusstheotherswayoflistening,buttoreceiveit.Ihopeyoucanvisittheshow,Ineedyoutovisittheexhibitiontodevelopmyworkineverysense.Iminterestedinthefactthatyouvecomeandthatitsproductiveforyou.Thankyouverymuch.