Friday January 14th
Visit to Jordi Colomer exhibition at IAC Institut d'art contemporain (16 October 2004- 16 January 2005) à Villeurbanne, and discussion with the artist.
Jordi Colomer, a Catalan artist based in Barcelona, was invited to present an exhibition utilising the entire ensemble of exhibition rooms of the IAC. Creating a trajectory through the various spaces, Colomer articulated the concerns and shifts of his practice through key works on paper, in sculpture, and video installation.
Colomer studied architecture and is perhaps best-known for his ongoing project Anarchitekton (Barcelona, Bucarest, Brasilia, Osaka) (2002-2004). In this four-screen projected video installation, we see the fictional character Idroj Sanicne parading--sometimes running--brandishing hastily-made cardboard constructions of buildings atop a stick, as if in protest. We recognize the constructions as referencing those of the particular city backdrops.
Colomer spoke of his work in video as a means through which to investigate objects "through the filter of the camera." This is particularly evidenced by works such as Simo (1997), Les Villes (2002) et Le Dortoir (2002). Operetas (1991), Frase (der Wachturm) (1991) and (Un crime) (2004) demonstrate Colomer's exploration of the relationship between language and objects. Colomer spoke of his decided return to sculpture in the more traditional sense with the work Prototipos (2004) created for the exhibition at the IAC.