The word courage has its roots in the Latin ‘coraticum’, which in turn comes from ‘cor," and means ‘heart’. I find multiple meanings that relate this word to art: to build a career in art, one needs to have nerve, passion, and resolution; and to keep oneself going strong, fearlessness is indispensable. A successful artistic practice needs to constantly overcome obstacles and face situations that cannot be passively ignored. Take, for instance, the purging and misogyny introduced into art history as narrated by E.H. Gombrich —a text that still has a huge following and that does not include a single artwork by a woman artist, as was denounced in Mara Gimeno’s performance "Queridas Viejas" (Old Mistresses). Or the rejection by harsh critics in the decades between 1920 and 1940 against a Colombian generation that was interested in exploring the indigenous roots of the American continent. This can also be seen when, due to institutional or personal motivations, a given art historian will systematically remove the presence of an otherwise iconic name from history.
The same goes for the biased opinions of curators, the sectarian division in art where artists are forced to choose sides. The gossip bent on destroying reputations out of sheer malice, and even the selfish manipulation of art trends by some collectors: these are all circumstances that generate discomfort amongst creators. Then, of course, there is natural adversity such as the pandemic and other similar events, trials that demand guts and tenacity to be dealt with.
Perhaps what interests me the most about the word ‘courage’ is its meaning of "wearing one’s heart on one’s sleeve", which implies a renunciation of the ego. The artists selected for this exhibition have confronted the risks involved in a practice that integrates mind, body, and soul into one instrument for the exploration of the unknown, for they understand that uncertainty must be met with courage.
Casa Zirio invites spectators to engage with the artistic practice of each of the artists that make up this exhibition, which is a selection of creators belonging to three generations and displaying them from a different perspective. Each of them has explored narratives and techniques that interrupt and transform everyday life, showing us that art is present in life itself. It cannot be forgotten how some of these artists have paved the way for others in a rather unwelcoming and harsh environment.
Along with them, we have come to understand that materials have no limits, that art is ever expansive and transdisciplinary. We must not forget our history, which counts its dead by the thousands and which has left a hole in our hearts, and that art is always one step ahead, from the exploration of the unconscious, which plays with language and images, to social and feminist struggles. It is also important to emphasize that there is no gender in art, only humans; this is crucial to fully understand and remove the colonial legacy of racism. We live in a fragile world, our ‘shared home," which needs all of us to put our hearts into it if we want our species to survive.
The word ‘courage’ also derives from the verb ‘to record’," meaning to come back to a memory, and even though it refers to the past, it also speaks of an encounter between modern and contemporary art in the present, as well as pointing toward constellations of artists yet to come. These future artists will in turn take as references others from the past, opening up the possibility of continuity and rupture and giving way to the connection and coexistence of multiple perspectives on art in the spirit of this exhibition.
Maria Elvira Ardila, 2023
Curator
