The Ghost of Modernity (Lixiviado)

2012 - Film & Video (Film & Video)

5:02 minutes

Miguel Angel Ríos

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Superb production values and special effects that in the hands of Miguel Angel Rios do not get in the way or distracts from the content and deep essay of this work. The shadow of Modernity represented via a clear cube floats over and through a barren landscape in Latin America. Juxtaposing the corrupt politics of the land, with the artist’s struggles and questioning of the effects and burden of influence of Modernity. A beautiful, clever, and gorgeous work that engages the viewer to the point of hypnotic meditation.

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Miguel Angel Ríos studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Buenos Aires before moving to New York in the 1970’s to escape the military dictatorship in Argentina. He subsequently relocated to Mexico and now divides his time between New York and Mexico City. In his work, Ríos pairs a rigorous conceptual approach with a meticulously constructed, handmade aesthetic. Since the 1970’s, he has made work about the concept of the Latin American, using this idea as both an artistic strategy and a political problem. Over the past two decades, Ríos has delved into the medium of video to create symbolic narratives about human experience, violence, and mortality. His videos of spinning tops–trompos–use the childhood game as a backdrop for a meditation on the transience of life, and the mechanics of power.

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Colors:

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• modernity.n.01
• symbolism.n.01
• third_world.n.01
• debris.n.01
• history.n.01
• political_orientation.n.01