Wright Imperial Hotel
2004
22.5H x 21W x 4D inches
Abraham Cruzvillegas
Wright Imperial Hotel (2004) is a sort of bow and arrow made out of feathers, a São Paulo phone book, and other materials. The title is a reference to a building Frank Lloyd Wright designed for Tokyo, which was completed in 1923. In its heyday, which lasted until after World War II, the hotel was reserved for elite personnel, many of them foreigners. With the passage of time it came to be seen as outdated and dingy, and it was demolished in the 1960s. Cruzvillegas’s work ironically and humorously symbolizes the hotel imposing presence. He presents us with the ultimate symbol of democracy—a phonebook—pierced with arrows. The sculpture is a symbol of solidarity imperiled by imperialism.
Abraham Cruzvillegas is known for his intricate and elaborate sculptures and installations made from found and scavenged materials. He often fashions useful objects out of repurposed parts and urban detritus. Cruzvillegas is inspired by the resourcefulness he has witnessed in impoverished rural and urban areas, where people build houses and necessary objects out of recycled materials such as cars and bottles.
