Damián Ortega on Politics, The Modern Garden, and His Creative Process
In an interview at his residence in San Angel, Mexico City, Damián Ortega (born 1967, Mexico City) shares insights about his childhood, political beliefs, and current artistic endeavors. Renowned for his Beetle Trilogy, which debuted at the Venice Biennale in 2002, Ortega also discusses his installation, The Modern Garden, displayed at Garage Square in Moscow from September 2018 to February 2019. This installation includes around thirty minimalist sculptures crafted from wood, concrete, and metal, reimagining commercial logos as three-dimensional forms. While he expresses doubts about meaningful change after supporting Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), he holds admiration for the Zapatista movement. Additionally, he mentions forthcoming projects at ICA Miami and a private gallery in New York, as well as participation in biennials in Lebanon, Korea, and Japan.
Key facts
- Damián Ortega is a Mexican artist born in 1967.
- His Beetle Trilogy was first shown at the 2002 Venice Biennale.
- The Modern Garden installation was at Garage Square, Moscow, from September 2018 to February 2019.
- The installation includes about thirty minimalist sculptures made of wood, concrete, and metal.
- Ortega voted for AMLO but is skeptical about political change.
- He attended the alternative school KAIROS, where English was forbidden.
- The school's founder, a psychoanalyst, was murdered in Cuernavaca.
- Ortega's maize project involves selling different corn varieties to fund sustainable tortilla production.
- He has upcoming projects at ICA Miami and a private gallery in New York.
- He will participate in biennials in Lebanon, Korea, and the Echigo-Tsumari Triennale in Japan.
Entities
Artists
- Damián Ortega
- Gabriel Orozco
- Mauricio Rocha
- Francisco Toledo
- Isamu Noguchi
- Anni Albers
- Nick Cave
- Marcel Duchamp
- Francis Picabia
- Dan Graham
- Julian Carrillo
- Mariana Yampolsky
- Abraham Cruzvillegas
Institutions
- Garage Museum of Contemporary Art
- Kurimanzutto
- ICA Miami
- La Jornada
- KAIROS
- Echigo-Tsumari Triennale
- Alias
Locations
- Mexico City
- Mexico
- San Angel
- Moscow
- Russia
- Venice
- Italy
- Cuernavaca
- Morelos
- Miami
- New York
- Lebanon
- Korea
- Japan
- Chiapas
- Oaxaca
- Puebla
- Sierra
- Brazil