My work is socially engaged with the art market, [Artoons, 2008–2022 series]

2014 - Drawing & Print (Drawing & Print)
22.86 x 30.48 cm

A sly sense of humor is key in Pablo Helguera’s long-running Artoons series, one that includes ~1500 drawings made over ten years. It’s no secret that the artworld tends to take itself too seriously, so it’s no surprise that Helguera’s project has developed a large following over the past decade—providing much needed comic relief.. Helguera grew up making and exchanging drawings like these with his father and brother, but never made drawing a part of his public practice until in 2008, when he began periodically posting what came to be known as ‘Artoons’ on Facebook. The series caricatures and lampoons agents and events in the artworld, combining just enough visual reference along with a caption. Always served with a dose of wit or irony, the series avoids contempt and sarcasm. While the drawings have appeared in numerous publications, including a monthly column in the Art Newspaper, a survey was exhibited earlier this year at the Juan March Foundation in Spain. While Helguera references legends like Saul Stienberg as influences, an artist who managed to make cartooning a serious practice used to address complex social and political issues, his work could also be compared to Ad Reinhardt’s practice of cartooning, which sometimes pointed its critical humor at the art world.

In addition to a long and diverse career as an artist, performer and writer of over a dozen books, Pablo Helguera has worked in the education departments of key institutions such as the Guggenheim Museum (1998-2005) and MoMA (2007-2020). That position has allowed him to become an “amateur anthropologist,” observing the artworld from the inside. Over the years he has witnessed the role of different actors (directors, dealers, curators, critics and collectors) and social environments (performances, openings, fairs, biennials). As an artists, Helguera has exhibited or performed at venues such as MoMA, Museo de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid; ICA Boston; RCA London; 8th Havana Biennal, PERFORMA 05, Havana; Shedhalle, Zurich; MoMA P.S.1, New York; Brooklyn Museum; IFA Galerie, Bonn; Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo; MALBA museum in Buenos Aires, Ex-Teresa Espacio Alternativo in Mexico City, The Bronx Museum, Artist Space, and Sculpture Center, among many others.