Crazy People’s Nave: The Retrospective of Juan Ugalde’s Variegated Career

Title: Juan Ugalde’s Retrospective Exhibition “Crazy People’s Nave” Explores Four Decades of Artistic Evolution

León, Spain – The MUSAC in León is currently hosting a retrospective exhibition of renowned artist Juan Ugalde’s work titled “Crazy People’s Nave.” The exhibition takes viewers on a journey through four decades of Ugalde’s career, showcasing his diverse artistic styles and political reflections.

Born in Bilbao in 1958, Ugalde experienced the vibrant art scene of New York in the 1980s and the Movida movement in Madrid before settling into a quieter life in the periphery. His work combines photography, paint, video, and collage to capture his political concerns and offer a reflection on the state of our civilization.

The exhibition begins with a painting from 1982 and is divided into rooms representing each decade of Ugalde’s artistic evolution. Rather than being a traditional anthology, the exhibition serves as a review of his work, allowing viewers to see the progression and variations in his style while maintaining a consistent underlying theme.

The title of the exhibition, “Crazy People’s Nave,” draws inspiration from Hieronymus Bosch’s painting depicting a ship filled with eccentric characters and their stories. Ugalde sees this as a metaphor for the stress and imbalance of our current society. The exhibition aims to provide a fun and thought-provoking experience for visitors.

Ugalde’s use of collage is a prominent feature in his work, symbolizing the mixing of different times, techniques, and ideas. He believes that we live in a world of collages, where everything is interconnected and hybridity is celebrated.

In addition to showcasing his existing body of work, Ugalde has created a new video specifically for the exhibition. This video explores the concept of the death drive in contemporary society and raises questions about the self-destructive nature of our civilization.

The retrospective also delves into Ugalde’s fascination with the themes of sanity, madness, and the individual versus the collective. He explores the blurred lines between reality and fiction, emphasizing that life itself is a form of fiction. Ugalde believes that art has the power to reflect and communicate life in its purest form.

Reflecting on his experience curating 40 years of production, Ugalde acknowledges the collaborative effort involved in selecting and assembling the works for the exhibition. He credits curator Nathalie Pariente for her input and emphasizes the importance of filling the museum space with a sense of collage, mirroring the essence of his artistic style.

When asked about the impact of the Movida movement, Ugalde fondly recalls the collective joy and sense of group that characterized that era. He believes that friendly relations among artists are essential for fruitful creativity. However, he also feels that the true essence of the Movida has been misunderstood and undervalued in certain contexts, particularly in relation to music and comics.

Ugalde’s retrospective exhibition serves as a testament to his artistic journey and the evolution of his ideas over the years. It invites viewers to contemplate the complexities of our society and the role of art in reflecting and challenging the status quo.

The exhibition will be open to the public at the MUSAC in León for a limited time, offering visitors a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of Juan Ugalde and witness the transformative power of art.Affable, generous, and very sane. Juan Ugalde, a renowned artist, is set to showcase his retrospective titled “Crazy People’s Nave” at the MUSAC in León. The exhibition takes viewers on a journey through Ugalde’s variegated memory of experiences, capturing his political concerns as a reflection of a sinking civilization.

Born in Bilbao in 1958, Ugalde has lived a life filled with artistic exploration. He experienced the vibrant art scene of New York in the 1980s and witnessed the Movida in Madrid before settling into a quieter life in the periphery. His work, which includes photographs intervened with paint, video, and collage, showcases his diverse range of styles while maintaining a consistent underlying theme.

The retrospective begins with a painting from 1982 and is divided into rooms representing different decades. Ugalde describes the exhibition as a review rather than an anthology, allowing viewers to see his work in its historical context. The title, “Crazy People’s Nave,” is inspired by Hieronymus Bosch’s painting of a ship filled with crazy people and their stories, symbolizing the stress and imbalance of our current civilization.

Ugalde’s use of collage is a fundamental aspect of his work, representing the mixing of different times and techniques. He believes that we live in a world of collages, where everything is interconnected and hybridity is prevalent.

When asked about curating 40 years of production, Ugalde explains that he worked closely with curator Nathalie Pariente to select the pieces for the exhibition. He wanted to create a show that was not empty but filled the museum space. The idea of collage, which has remained unchanged throughout his career, played a significant role in the exhibition’s assembly.

The retrospective also features

In what ways has Juan Ugalde’s exploration of different mediums and techniques shaped his artistic development over the course of four decades

Themselves in four decades of Juan Ugalde’s artistic evolution.