Horse Silk. Manuel Vilariño

Horse Silk. Manuel Vilariño

                                                 Abada, 2010 © Manuel Vilariño. VEGAP, Madrid 2013

Horse Silk is the largest of the exhibitions displayed up to the present day about Manuel
Vilariño, National Photography Award 2007 (Spain).

Curated by Fernando Castro Flórez, Horse Silk features a hundred artworks as a
retrospective exhibition of the artist, from 1981 onward, with the most outstanding aspects
of its aesthetic, a remarkable poetic background and a call for an enhanced contemplative
attitude.

The outline of the exhibition brings us through different passages of the imaginary of
Vilariño, conveying his particular vision towards animals, landscapes and still lifes, up to the
melancholy sight and shadowy presence of death.

Horse Silk. Manuel Vilariño

Manuel Vilariño (1952, A Coruña, Galicia, Spain) is a photographer and poet. He is one of
the most outstanding artists of the contemporary art scene. From the moment he held his
first exhibition in 1982, his work has been kept on display around multiple remarkable
galleries and museums becoming part of their collections, such as the Museo Nacional
Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid, at the Fine Arts Museum in Boston, at the Museo
Extremeño e Iberoamericano de Arte Contemporáneo (MEIAC) in Badajoz, ARTIUM in
Vitoria or the Coca-Cola Art Collection.

In 2007 he was awarded the National Photography Award by the Ministry of Culture of
Spain. During the same year he took part in the exhibition Paraíso fragmentado, curated by
Alberto Ruiz de Samariego, at the Spanish Pavilion in the Venice Biennial.

Among his most outstanding exhibitions, we can recall as remarkable the one held in 2002
at the Centro Galego de Arte Contemporánea of Santiago de Compostela Manuel Vilariño.
Fío e sombra, or Mar de afuera held at the Círculo de Bellas Artes in Madrid in 2012. In
2008 the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) organized
an itinerary exhibition with his works, curated by Fernando Castro Flórez, and it was
displayed at the Centro Cultural de España in Asunción (Paraguay), the Museo Balmes in
Motevideo (Uruguay), the Museo de Arte Moderno in Sao Paulo (Brazil) and at the MAC
Niteroi in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).

He participated in the 2012 edition of the project Peregrinatio in Sagunto, organized by the
Consorcio de Museos of the Comunidad Valenciana and in 2013 he carried out the project
Fragmentos de un viaje, as a result of a poetic tour around Extremadura held at the
MEIAC, Museo Extremeño e Iberoamericano of Badajoz.

Many outstanding poets have been atracted to write about the artworks of Manuel Vilariño,
such as Antonio Gamoneda, Chantal Maillard or Juan Barja, writters like Manuel Rivas,
philosophers like Félix Duque and critics like Miguel Fernández-Cid, Miguel Copón or
Alberto Ruiz de Samaniego.

His photography is interrelated to a sense of poetry -Ruinas ao espertar, Espiral Maior
Ediciones-, according to what he asserted “my photography would not exist without poetry;
together become a whole [...]”.

Horse Silk. Manuel Vilariño
A turmeric mountain welcomes the public at the beginning of the exhibition's course. The
intensive yellow-orange colour of this spice, shrouded by the sound of the whales and the
four-hight metres overwhelming projection of the Tabla Bwa that Manuel Vilariño made in
2007, moves us deeply into the territory of presences and dreams; of finitude and hope; of
silence and reminiscence.

The images comprising the colossal polyptysh Los Pájaros and Cabezas/Sueños, are the
starting point of the exhibition. Throughout the following hall, we can find the black and
white photographs with the strength of the involuntary Beasts, where animals are depicted
next to diverse tools stimulating a dialogue between life and death.

An owl and a rhinoceros or abada are meant to represent the gaze of the animal, a look
towards horizons, which Vilariño uses it simultaneously to focus on his mountains and
oceans landscapes -Montaña negra, Nube blanca I, II, III-.

Throughout his views from the region of Extremadura, we can enjoy the light that smoothly
covers the diverse elements of these landscapes, with a stunning autenticity and beauty.
The colour and the idea of death come across in the work Paraiso Fragmentado. The
composition works as a mosaic of 15 photographs reproducing still life scenes. In each one
a bird, a lizard, or a snake are lying lifeness creating an unique composition as a whole.
Along the exhibition we can find other kind of still lifes El Despertar, Membrillos or
Granadas. Compositions at first side simple or plane such as a butterfly carefully lying in
an open Mass Book, or a group of decomposed fruits placed in the shadow projected from
a candle light about to consume. All these elements and compositions are drawn to reveal
and return to the essence of the Still Life classical genre.

Crucifixión de los siete cielos or Cruz de luz borrada are also still lifes with ritual scenes
compositions. Both artworks stand aside the art instalation that gives name to the
exhibition, Horse Silk: a big sfere of 125 cm diameter made out of cedar wood and silk. This
art piece simbolizes the wildness; the outer. Once more, the animal becomes itself the main
subject. A projection of poems by Vilariño closes this part of the exhibition, becoming
witness at the same time as part of his photographs.

The mountains and oceans photographs -Al despertar, Lejano interior #23-, placed next
to the video projection where the artist speaks about his feelings when creating and
working on his art, leads us to the end of the course throughout the imaginary of Manuel
Vilariño.

Horse Silk. Manuel Vilariño Images

          Serpe, 1985 © Manuel Vilariño. VEGAP, Madrid 2013

Sula Bassana, 1985 ©Manuel Vilariño. VEGAP,      Tesouras, 1983 © Manuel Vilariño. VEGAP,
Madrid 2013                                      Madrid 2013

           Montaña negra, nube blanca 1, 1999 © Manuel Vilariño. VEGAP, Madrid 2013

Paraíso fragmentado, 1999-2003 © Manuel Vilariño. VEGAP, Madrid 2013

El Despertar 1, 2001 © Manuel Vilariño. VEGAP, Madrid 2013

Al Despertar 1, 2011 © Manuel Vilariño. VEGAP, Madrid 2013

Lejano interior #23, 2008 © Manuel Vilariño. VEGAP, Madrid 2013

Horse Silk. Manuel Vilariño Catalogue

Edits: Ministerio de Educación Cultura y Deporte

© SECRETARÍA GENERAL TÉCNICA. Subdirección General de Documentación y
   Publicaciones
© De los textos y las imágenes, sus autores

NIPO: 030-13-133-6
ISBN MECD: 978-84-8181-544-3
DEPÓSITO LEGAL: M-21815-2013

Graphic Design and Layout: Martín Caramés

Authors of the Articles: Fernando Castro
       Flórez | Alberto Ruiz de Samaniego |
       Miguel Ángel Hernández Navarro

Copy Editing: Rosalía Grandal

Printing: Brizzolis

Acknowledgments: Ignacio Castro | Emma Crichton | Félix Duque | Miguel Fernández-Cid
| Pablo Ferrero | Antonio Franco | Tabea Graser | Traugot y Gertraud Graser | Jaime
Lavagne | Roberto Marcos | Fernando Páez | Luis Sirvent | Gonzalo Rudiño | Tomás Ruiz |
Ángel Seco | Damián Ucieda | Carlos Carvalho Arte Contemporánea | Galería Bacelos |
Galería Vilaseco Hauser | MEIAC

Horse Silk. Manuel Vilariño. More information

Horse Silk. Manuel Vilariño
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http://www.mcu.es/promoArte/CE/Exposiciones/Expo_ExpoItinerantes.html
http://www.mcu.es/promoArte/CE/Premios/PremioFotografia2007.html

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CONDITIONS REPORT FOR TRAVELLING EXHIBITIONS

 EXHIBITION TITLE

 HORSE SILK. MANUEL VILARIÑO

 EXHIBITION PRODUCTION

 Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte. Secretaría de Estado de Cultura.
 Dirección General de Bellas Artes y Bienes Culturales y de Archivos y Bibliotecas.
 Subdirección General de Promoción de las Bellas Artes

 TECHNICAL DATA OF THE EXHIBITION

 Total number of works:

    −   97 works: composed by 96 photographs with different sizes, 4 of them are big-size
        polyptych and 1 installation.
        − 12 polyptych photographs: “Birds”
        − 12 polyptych photographs: “Heads/Dreams”
        − 15 polyptych photogrpahs: “Fragmented paradise”
        − 20 photographs composing: “Bestiary”
        − 32 photographs (diptychs, triptych, quadriptych...)
        − 5 light boxes
        − 1 installation “Horse Silk”
        − 3 projections -2 videos and 1 projection of a poetry-

 INSTALLATION:
    −   Showroom space: 200 linear metres, intended for the photographs, most of them
        are big-sized -the smallest are 120x120 cm-. There are 4 big-sized groups, which
        must be taken into account during the installation.
    −   The piece installation “Horse Silk” is a 125cm diametre sphere.
    −   Installation system for 3 projectors.
    −   Preventive conservation and suitable lighting levels for photography -including a
        time-limiting light control- are required.

 CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION

 EXPENSES COVERED BY THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, CULTURE AND SPORT.

    −   Production.
    −   Coordination.
    −   Insurance.
    −   Packing.

EXPENSES COVERED BY THE INSTITUTION HOLDING THE EXHIBITION:

Author of the artworks:

   −    Travel, accommodation and daily allowance intended for the artist Manuel Vilariño,
        to attend the official opening.

Curatorial management:
   − Fees intended for the curator Fernando Castro Florez.
   − Travel, accommodation and daily allowance during the installation working period
        and the official opening.

Installation and Transportation services:

   −    Round-trip shipping.
   −    Installation and lighting of the showrooms.
   −    Graphic productions -brochure available at the end of the exhibition course, graphic
        for the exhibition and for its promotion-.
   −    Surveillance and security officers service.
   −    Unpack, installation, dismantling and repack.

    SEVERAL CONDITIONS WHEN HANDLING AND PACKING THE ARTWORKS:

        Qualified staff and protecting tools should be provided during the unpacking,
        install and repacking; follow the precise Packing List order details when
        repacking; use of impact and vibration vibro-isolatuing system in the crates;
        security surveillance of works shall be ensured from the time of delivery, set
        up, dismantling, and return.

NOTE:
Once an exhibition application has been accepted, a subsequent collaboration Agreement
will be signed between the Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte and the institution
where the exhibition will be held.