Aforismos ensartados (pabellón 1)
textual designs, t-shirt, badges, pullovers, 2021
The Aforismos ensartados series began on the artist’s Instagram feed surrounding the ongoing repression of artists and intellectuals by the government in the Cuban context. The textual designs and images were created quickly by mobile phone, and circulated as an immediate response to unfolding situations in Cuba over the past year. Llòpiz-Casal’s designs are used on social media pages such as that of 27N, and circulate widely as a way to promote awareness of current topics and protests. Llòpiz-Casal, who typically works in other artistic media, now dives head first into immediate strategies for design born out of urgency and the need for swift communication. For this exhibition in Vienna, he has transformed his virtual designs into physical, wearable objects. Prototypes of t-shirts and buttons with images depicting the faces of specific political prisoners in Cuba can be seen, and are ultimately intended to be worn outside the gallery in public space.
Julio Llòpiz-Casal (Havana, Cuba, 1984) is a visual artist working with installation, performance, photography, video and design. He is based in Havana, and is a founder of 27N (a platform of interchange between artists and intellectuals in Cuba). Llòpiz-Casal studied Art History at the University of Havana in 2011 and graduated with a thesis on expressionism in Cuban painting. Llòpiz-Casal has participated in collective art exhibitions like "Landlord Colors: On Art, Economy and Materiality" (Cranbrook Art Museum, Detroit, 2019) and "Cada forma en el espacio es una forma de tiempo que se escapa" (Dagoberto Rodríguez's Studio, Madrid, 2020). His work is part of the collections of Cranbrook Art Museum, Detroit, US; the Eva-Lotta Holm Flach (Flach Gallery), Stockholm, Sweden; Michael Delahunt, Colorado, US; Wendy Fritz (H is for House), Miami, US and Laura J. Mott, Detroit, US.
