SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 18 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –
TEA Tenerife Espacio de las Artes, a modern art centre belonging to the Cabildo de Tenerife, unveiled the exhibition ‘Sweet Dreams’ this Wednesday, featuring the renowned artist Carlos Rivero (Tenerife, 1964).
Presenting the exhibition were the Councillor for Culture and Museums of Tenerife, José Carlos Acha; the artistic director of TEA, Sergio Rubira; the coordinator of the Filtraciones series and co-curator of the project, Isidro Hernández; the director of the Independent Contemporary Art Space Nadie Nunca Nada No in Madrid, Ramón Mateos; along with the artist Carlos Rivero himself. The exhibition is part of the ‘Filtraciones’ programme and will premiere this Friday at 6:30 p.m.
‘Sweet Dreams’, remarked Acha, constitutes a “remarkable exhibition” that showcases a selection of Rivero’s recent drawings, sculptures, and watercolours, characterised by their experimental and wholly unpredictable use of colour and form.
He elaborated that Rivero’s work “follows a disturbing and unsettling iconography of surreal scenes and characters, evoked onto canvas or paper from a world that is obsessive, magical, ominous, and shadowy.”
Curated by Isidro Hernández, Mateo Maté, and Ramón Mateos, this solo exhibition also includes the glazed ceramic installation titled Conspiración (2012), one of his prior works housed in the TEA Collection.
“The exhibition arrives at TEA following its showcase at the independent contemporary art space Nadie Nunca Nada No in Madrid and the Espacio TEA Candelaria, and it can be visited free of charge until 1 December, daily and on public holidays, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.,” explained the Councillor for Culture and Museums of Tenerife.
Sergio Rubira, during his public introduction as artistic director of TEA, described it as a “fitting coincidence.” He shared that to him, Carlos Rivero was a legendary figure whose artwork he had encountered in Madrid whilst sharing an office with Mateo Maté, who introduced him to this outstanding Canarian painter.
“I have been able to verify that everything I was told about him was indeed accurate. Upon meeting him a few months ago and witnessing his artwork firsthand, I discovered he was not merely a mythical figure, but a very tangible individual of flesh and blood, and that in some manner, this reality, composed of flesh, bone, blood, and body, is evident in his painting,” stated Rubira, who praised Rivero’s artistry “not only for its themes that make his work distinctive but also for his unique approach, painting style, and technique.”
Artist Carlos Rivero shared that this exhibition represents the culmination of two years of effort and that the human form plays a significant role in it, as it has in his previous creations.
He also expressed the irony behind the exhibition’s title, ‘Sweet Dreams’, which suggests a contrast with the pieces that depict scenes akin to nightmares.
“I believe I harbour a longing for peace, and in this exhibition, there exists a quest for tranquillity, but concurrently an awareness that reality is always turbulent,” he elaborated, noting his preference for traditional techniques, such as watercolours and Indian ink.
“Cyborg bodies, forms in metamorphosis, and nature are three prevalent themes within these creations,” remarked the artist.
Isidro Hernández emphasised that Carlos Rivero is an artist “immersed in obsession, immersed in the practice of painting.”
THE ENTIRE OF THE DREAMY
In his view, “he is a comprehensive artist who dwells within his work, and this obsession is reflected in his watercolours, displaying themes that delve into the essence of the dreamlike.”
In his address, Ramón Mateos acknowledged that it has been “a privilege to collaborate with Carlos Rivero and to bring the wonder of his work to light.”
The works of Carlos Rivero –the curators note– manifest “the enduring struggle to reconcile our ego with our desires and the realities of society, negotiating between the delicate and the brutal, between meticulous craftsmanship and randomness.”
They further assert that these pieces embody “a blend of tenderness and sadism, emerging spontaneously.”
Through these images, Carlos Rivero portrays “the intimate journal of an unresolved ego, and the paper transforms into a battleground, revealing its shadow in the freest manner possible.”
During the exhibition’s opening phase, the artist will host several experimental watercolour workshops.
The inaugural session will take place on October 18, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and on October 19, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.; the second session is scheduled for November 15, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and on November 16, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
