27 Peces

DIVERSEartLA
27 Peces/27 Fish, Installation, 2018: Cristian Castro
Curated by Carlos Ortega, Curator of Collections, MOLAA
Presented by Museum of Latin American Art, MOLAA
The Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) has selected Argentinian artist, Cristian Castro and his site-specific installation, 27 Peces / 27 Fish, 2018 to highlight the contemporary art of Latin America in the 2019 edition of the Los Angeles Art Show.Cristian Castro, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1971 and currently based in LA, expresses his artistic talent by repurposing discarded vintage household appliances and old mechanical tools with contemporary designs of his own. In the 27 Fish installation, the artist used 1950s Johnson brand outboard motors for the main body, stainless steel cat bowls, kitchen hinges, nails for the teeth, electrical conduits, fiber glass, custom laser cut aluminum parts molded with a hydraulic press for the fins, and automotive paint with chromed and polished parts to create these hybrid creatures that appear to come from a 19th century vision of the future.

Very much like the Argentinian collective Center for Art and Communication (CAyC) in the 70s and 80s, the artist conceives his installations as a multidisciplinary space in which to explore the relationship between art, science, environment and society. The deep-sea fish in 27 Fish were created in a retro-futuristic style, incorporating kinetic movement and light.

Cristian focuses his art on environmental issues. Humans create their own realities based on an idealization of nature. The artist decontextualizes nature to recreate the reality we are facing today: ocean pollution, destruction of natural habitats, and uncertainty about the future.

The work of Cristian Castro is representative of the increasingly important position that contemporary Latin American art holds in the international art world.

About MOLAA:

The Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) expands knowledge and appreciation of modern and contemporary Latin American and Latino art through its collections, ground-breaking exhibitions, stimulating educational programs, and engaging cultural events.

Founded in 1996, MOLAA is located in the East Village Arts District in downtown Long Beach and serves the greater Los Angeles Metropolitan area including Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, while simultaneously reaching international audiences through its collaborations, website, and social media