Tampiquito

Tampiquito, Monterrey, México
April – May 2009

Project curated by Nrmal and El Narval

Residency project:
From April 1st to May 26th 2009
Exhibition at La galería en el Taller Mecánico:
From May 21st to July 7th, Calle Plutarco Elias Calles #419, Colonia Tampiquito,
San Pedro, NL

I’ve been invited by Nrmal and El Narval to be the first artist to participate in Residencia Tampiquito, an artistic residency in a popular neighbourhood in San Pedro (Monterrey, Nuevo León, México). I lived and painted for two months in Tampiquito and at the end we opened an exhibition in a gallery to show the result of the residency.

I painted around 50 pieces on people’s houses, had a 10 years old best friend and assistant (because of the flu, the schools were closed so Javi my neighbors’ son was helping me to paint almost everyday!), had an incredible crew working with me sorting out photos, videos, press and BBQ’s and felt very sad when I had to go back home!

If by chance you are in Monterrey, download the map of the paintings here, print it and have a walk in the awesome Tampiquito neighbourhood!

One day while I was painting, an amazing cumbia was played from a huge pick-up parked next to me. I met the owner of the car, Raúl el Tamborín, and after offering me a couple of beers, he gave me the tape as a gift! Nrmal made a mixtape out of it so everybody can enjoy it: https://nrmal.net/blog/nrmal/residencia-tampiquito-mixtape!

The project had an incredible press coverage, you can check it here:
https://nrmal.net/arte/prensa-generada-por-residencia-tampiquito

Thanks to: Lucas (Nrmal) and Luis (El Narval), Lalo, Samuel Catherine, Screw, Huizar, Maf, Malo, Angel, Lara, Telma, Paco, the Briones Morales family, Ofimodul, all my friends that helped and all Tampiquito residents!

Direct links to the picture galleries:

1 – Paintings pictures
2 – Exhibition pictures
3 – Opening pictures
4 – Extra pictures

Pictures of the street paintings:

View of the Sierra Madre from the barrio

Luis asking for people's wall showing the "Puerta Lumbreras" project book

#11

#4 and #13 on Paco's van

#15

#16 - In front of the OXXO!

#14 - Paco's van on the other side

#22

#23

#28

#38

#40

#27

#39

#36 - Privada la Barranca

#41 - Calle 20 de Noviembre

#45 - Calle Hidalgo

#44 - Calle Hidalgo

#7 - 21 de Marzo street from a roof on Hidalgo street!

#24

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Pictures of the exhibition at La Galería en el Taller Mecánico:

For the inside part of the residency, I worked on an installation, some prints and 4 wood replicas of paintings originally done in the street. With the great help of Screw, Huizar and Paco we built up the installation inspired in Tampiquito “do it yourself” architecture with typical elements we found around the neighborhood.
The replicas were made of wood and are life-size reproductions of paintings number 5, 28, 36 and 46.

Elements that inspired the installation

The "Tampiqueña" installation

The "Atardecer Mazatleco sobre Tampiquito" prints

Wood and paper

The "Replicas"

#36's replica

#28's replica

#5's replica

#46's replica

The map

The "to go" map

Pictures from Lalo and Samuel

More pictures on the Nrmal website:
Expo Residencia Tampiquito : Eltono

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Pictures of the opening at La Galería en el Taller Mecánico:

Javi!

Layo's family

El baño!

Javi's family, my neighbors!

Dr.Rudds & Beatniks

The party!

The venue is literally a gallery inside a mecanical garage (galería en el taller mecánico). The gallery is at the end of the garage on your left!

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Extra pictures:

My assistant!

Maria's wall by Screw and Huizar

Replicas!

My bye bye cake made by Maria!!!

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Y así nació la CUADRIMETRÍA!

Pictures are from Eduardo Hernandez (Nrmal.net), Samuel Catherine, Lucas, Luis, Telma and Eltono.

El Autotono

Mexico City and Monterrey, Mexico
October – November 2008

Project produced with the great help of Nrmal
It was first presented during the Mutek Festival in Mexico City.

The Autotono is a mobile installation built in order to explore how people can interact with an artwork in a public space. My idea was to create a kind of puzzle with 3 designs mixed-up and observe how the people can change them trying to find the original designs (or not!). What I was interested in was not to see people completing the puzzle but to register all the intermediate compositions that were created without my control during the process. My idea with this experiment was essentially to observe and learn.

I was interested in observing the results of the Autotono in different situations, so we build it with wheels to be able to move it easily. We installed it, in busy streets, touristic squares, in parties, in a design fair, in a park, in a school…

The name “Autotono” states for automobile (“un auto” is “a car” in Spanish) and automatic (automaticly created compositions, without the intervention of the artist).

Thanks a lot to Ofimodul for letting us use their spare wood, their installation and for the great help of their workers. Pictures by Rafa, Lalo, Nrmal and Eltono.

Direct links to the picture galleries:

1 – Building pictures
2 – Mexico City pictures
3 – Monterrey pictures
4 – States pictures
5 – Simulation video

Building the Autotono:

The first day in Monterrey, Lucas told me "there is spare wood in a furniture factory that we can use".

and there was actually a looooooooot of wood!!!

So we started thinking about how to use it.

I thought about a moving installation. We needed it to fit in the pick-up so we could experiment with it in different places.

The idea of the "Autotono" was born!

Early in the morning the next day we went to the hardware store...

... bought everything we needed...

... and in the afternoon we went back to the factory, selected the wood and started cutting the pieces.

I drilled the 75 holes.

The next day I started painting the pieces on Maf's rooftop.

I painted all day and the pieces were ready at night.

The next day we went to the factory again and started working on the structure of the Autotono.

Lunch time, I tried to be quiet, workers use to have a little nap!

Drilling the lock system.

Assembling the wheels with an awesome air-powered driller!

Team work

Done!

And it fits in Lucas' pick-up!

I packed the painted puzzle pieces...

... and we sent the Autotono by fret to Mexico City.

We flew to Mexico City and the next day the Autotono arrived, parked in front of the hotel and got fined in 10 seconds!!!

We "found out" our way with the cops and unload the installation.

To move it easily we had to put all the pieces in place for the first time. We did it randomly. The Autotono was finally alive!

And moving!

The next step was to find a "rotulista".

He painted the name in a very Mexican way and the Autotono was finally ready.

Ramone Random - The Nrmal dog

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The Autotono in Mexico City, during the Mutek festival:

On Saturday we set the Autotono in Motolinia Street, a busy pedestrian street in the historic center of Mexico City.

We decided to make one of the designs and moved to another spot.

We stopped on a busy corner, and a kid started to mix everything looking for the brown and orange design. His mother was great help!

But the police came and they told us that we couldn't stay here...

So many people were looking so we decided to finish the brown and orange design by ourselves.

And we left the scene while people was applauding at us!!!

We went right to the opposite corner on the same street.

And some kids started playing very hard with the installation. They played more than an hour! Her mother was so happy and enjoying some peaceful time.

We helped them, just a little bit, so they could complete the red and white puzzle. Then they left with a very educated "gracias".

We went back to the Mutek headquarters.

And just before we stored the Autotono for the night some guys started playing.

On Sunday we went to the Zocalo (one of the biggest public square in the world).

People everywhere!

The Autotono was changing all the time, it was hard to get pictures of the different states.

We move to a corner in front of the cathedral and that shy little boy who was watching at us (7 pictures ago) followed us and finally started playing!

His uncle took a cell picture of the result!

Ricos tamales!

During the night we installed the Autotono in one of the Mutek parties...

...and it changed all night long...

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The Autotono in Monterrey:

When the Autotono came back to Monterrey, we installed it in the Monterrey Design Week.

Then we installed it in the Parque Fundidora.

At the end of the three days Design fair, we put it back in the pick-up...

...and built it up again in the Cedim, a private art and design school.

The closing party of the Monterrey Design Week was happening that night in the Cedim school.

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The different states the Autotono passed through:

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Simulation video:

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Check that small interview from the Design Week Monterrey (in Spanish).

PLAF

PLAF – Autonomous Mechanisms
New York, U.S.A.
August – September 2008

Project in collaboration with MOMO
www.eltono.com/plaf

During August and September 2008, with my friend and artist MOMO, we have been setting up, without any kind of permission, kinetic sculptures in the New York waterways.

Plaf is a word for splash in both Spanish and French and relates to the on-going project that features kinetic sculptures that have been placed and fastened in several locations in the New York Waterways. Constructed from used materials, the work will be left to the elements as a way to explore the force and power of water that goes unused and unnoticed in New York City. Using the rivers water, wind, tides, and currents, the sculptures will shift and decay, leaving the work just as it is without comment on form or representation.

An indoor exhibition happened at the same time at the Anonymous Gallery.

You can find the complete documentation on the blog of the project: www.eltono.com/plaf

List of the installations we did during the project:

Hallet’s Cove

www.eltono.com/plaf/hallets-cove

Thrash Islands

www.eltono.com/plaf/thrash-islands

Broadway Beach

www.eltono.com/plaf/broadway-beach

East River Park

www.eltono.com/plaf/east-river-state-park

Gantry Plaza

www.eltono.com/plaf/gantry-plaza-state-park

Plaf Maker

www.eltono.com/plaf/plaf-maker

The Plaf Exhibition

www.eltono.com/plaf/the-plaf-exhibition

Map of the project with the instalations locations: maps.google.com/maps/plaf

Intervención

La Noche en Blanco
Matadero Contemporary Art Center
Madrid, Spain
September 22nd 2007

Project in collaboration with Nuria Mora

A climbable sculpture built for La Noche en Blanco in the yard of Matadero Madrid, the new Comtemporary Art Center in Madrid.

Wood and paint, 40 m x 20 m

www.mataderomadrid.com

Pictures by: Hoffamm

Puerta Lumbreras

150 doors , 15 days
Puerto Lumbreras, Murcia, Spain
August 17th – August 31st 2006

In August 2006, I’ve been invited by Miguel Angel Cayuela and the Puerto Lumbreras City Council to spend 15 days in the village and paint 150 doors in the old center. You can download the map of the doors here: Puerta Lumbreras Map.

Spanish:

Puerto Lumbreras, una localidad con algo más de 12.000 habitantes que durante 15 días al final de agosto del 2006 ha abierto su casco antiguo a las intervenciones que Eltono se dispuso a realizar en 150 puertas. La clave: no cubrir ni transformar el ambiente real, todo lo contrario, buscar la integración de estas intervenciones subrayando los detalles que puedan tener estas puertas en cuanto a texturas y colores, buscando dar protagonismo a esos lugares que han quedado al margen de un uso estético existente pero inapreciable para el peatón. Más detalles del proyecto aquí.