Cuando pensamos en el sarcasmo desde un punto de vista político en el arte contemporáneo, uno de los nombres que aparece de inmediato es Nelson Leirner. Es conocido por su actitud ridícula, especialmente hacia la sociedad y el mercado del arte. A pesar de las dificultades obvias que esta posición le ha traído a lo largo de los años, ha logrado mantener su trabajo fresco y divertido, tal vez debido a la forma en que aborda el arte y la vida en general.
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Sus comentarios burlones apuntan a comentar sobre la realidad social y política del mundo y la relación de poder establecida a nivel social. Usted es parte de esto (2011), parafraseando el popular dicho «Monkey see, monkey do». En las cuatro piezas de esta serie exhibidas, él usa cabezas de mono, incluyendo siluetas hechas de espejos. Está anticipando el momento en que el espectador está delante de la pieza y puede ver su propio reflejo. Leirner está hablando de la culpa colectiva y de cómo nos convertimos en parte de algo simplemente no haciendo nada en contra.
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Objetos desechables (2009) es quizás el trabajo más íntimo de la exposición realizada de piezas de mueble que pertenecieron al artista. Podemos ver los objetos que ha coleccionado, cosas que le han llamado la atención, como los souvenir de las tiendas de un museo. La pieza se convierte en una especie de gabinete de curiosidades donde podemos ver fragmentos privados de su entorno doméstico.
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También está aprovechando la apropiación posmoderna para rendir homenaje a sus artistas favoritos, haciendo sus propias interpretaciones de piezas icónicas de artistas como Piet Mondrian y Marcel Duchamp. Parking Lot (2011) es su homenaje a Mondrian, replicando una de sus composiciones icónicas hechas de autos de juguete. La referencia a Duchamp aparece en tres partes; 1974 Harvest, elaborado a partir de su conocida Bottle; R. Mutt, citando a la Mona Lisa y Fountain al mismo tiempo; y finalmente Smile (2011), que cita su famosa rueda de bicicleta.
Una de sus series más famosas es Right You Are When You Think You Are (2003/2011). En este podemos ver mapas, que a primera vista son representaciones lúdicas de un espacio geográfico, hechas con calcomanías para niños. Poco después, nos damos cuenta de que esta imagen aparentemente inocente es cuidadosamente construida, llena de referencias políticas y sociales, de acuerdo con lo que él ve como circunstancias de identificación.
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A lo largo de la carrera de Leirner, su actitud juguetona e irónica ha provocado reacciones mixtas entre el público y los críticos. Podemos ver cómo su trabajo ha evolucionado sustancialmente a partir de ese movimiento audaz en 1967, cuando ofreció todas sus piezas de forma gratuita. Sin embargo, la esencia es la misma, y su obra continúa mostrando ese comentario social distintivo, evidente en esta exposición.
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Critíca el mercado del arte y principalmente en su serie de Sotheby (2001), haciendo las piezas con las portadas reales de los catálogos destacando elementos como signos de dinero o lujo en general. Como todos sabemos, la casa de subastas simboliza la supremacía del comercio al convertirse en la guía que los coleccionistas siguen para establecer los valores del arte.
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ENG: Whenever we think about sarcasm from a political viewpoint in contemporary art, one of the names that immediately comes up is Nelson Leirner. He is known for his farcical attitude, especially towards society and the art market. Despite the obvious difficulties that this position has brought to him over the years, he has managed to keep his work fresh and humorous, perhaps due to the way he approaches art and life in general.
His derisive remarks are aiming to comment on the social and political reality of the world and the power relationship established at a social level. You are part of it (2011), is paraphrasing the popular saying Monkey see, monkey do. In the four pieces from this series exhibited he uses monkey heads, including silhouettes made out of mirrors. He is anticipating the moment when the spectator is in front of the piece and can see his or her own reflection. Leirner is talking about the collective guilt and how we become part of something by simply doing nothing against it.
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Disposable Objects (2009) is perhaps the most intimate work in the exhibition-made after an actual piece of furniture that belonged to the artist. We can see objects he has collected, things that have attracted his attention such as museum store souvenirs. The piece becomes a sort of curio cabinet were we can see private fragments of his domestic environment.
He is also taking advantage of the postmodern appropriation to pay homage to his favorite artists, making his own interpretations of iconic pieces by artists such as Piet Mondrian and Marcel Duchamp. Parking Lot (2011) is his homage to Mondrian, replicating one of his iconic compositions made out of toy cars. The reference to Duchamp comes up in three pieces; 1974 Harvest, made out after his well-known Bottle; R.Mutt, citing the Mona Lisa and Fountain at the same time; and finally Smile (2011), which quotes his famous Bicycle Wheel.
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One of his most famous series is Right You Are When You Think You Are (2003/2011). In this one we can see maps, which are at first glimpse playful renderings of a geographical space, made up by children’s stickers. Soon after, we realize that this seemly innocent image is a carefully constructed one, full of political and social references, according to what he sees as identifying circumstances.
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Throughout Leirner’s career, his playful and ironic attitude has provoked mixed reactions from the public and the critics. We can see how his work has substantially evolved from that bold move in 1967, when he offered all his pieces for free. Nevertheless, the essence is the same, and his oeuvre continues showing that distinctive social commentary, evident in this exhibition.
He criticizes the art market primarily in his Sotheby’s series (2001), making the pieces with the actual covers of the catalogues highlighting elements such as money signs or luxury in general. As we all know, the auction house symbolizes the supremacy of the trade by becoming the guide that collectors follow to establish art values.
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