For Oscar Murillo's latest exhibition at kurimanzutto gallery in Mexico City, 15 years of his oeuvre are brought together under the title "oscar murillo: el pozo de agua". The show is not a linear journey through time but rather an accumulation of works that reflect on how different temporalities and layers of meaning settle and accumulate. This concept is central to Murillo's artistic practice, which seeks to challenge traditional notions of history as linear.
Murillo's body of work is characterized by abstract paintings with layered black, blue, and orange brushstrokes and thick textured paint, but his relationship with surfaces is more complex than a simple obsessive focus on the plastic sense. He sees surfaces as registering marks and energy, and in his latest piece "manifestation", oil, oil stick, spray paint, dirt, and graphite are combined to create a dynamic and layered effect.
The show also highlights Murillo's recent series of works titled "Social Mapping", which involves placing surfaces around buildings for others to mark. This piece is an evolution of his earlier work "Frequencies", which he describes as a global network that attaches itself to the framework and infrastructure of schools, collaborating with children as vessels. He sees these works as a way to document the passing of time and the thoughts and experiences of people.
The exhibition also features a new installation titled "The Water Well" in the patio of the gallery space, which acts as an encyclopedia containing fragments of material that have occupied his studio over the years. This work serves as a testament to Murillo's process and invites visitors to consult it before viewing the paintings on show.
Murillo's artistic practice is deeply rooted in his experience of being a witness to global change and social unrest. His works reflect this by incorporating elements such as migration, history, and memory, which he sees as essential to understanding our current moment. The show "oscar murillo: el pozo de agua" is a testament to Murillo's artistic vision and his ongoing quest to challenge traditional notions of time, space, and human experience.
The reception of Murillo's work in Latin America versus elsewhere in the world is a subject he has touched upon in previous interviews. While it may not be a topic he explicitly addresses in this interview, his recent show highlights how ideas born out of a shifting global order can resonate across different cultures and contexts.
When asked about personal favorites among the works on display, Murillo's mention of "The Water Well" installation suggests that for him, this piece holds a special significance. This work is not just an accumulation of marks but also serves as a repository of memories and experiences that inform his artistic vision.
Murillo has faced questions about his market darling status early in his career, but he dismisses the notion of being a "star", preferring to focus on his practice. His response suggests that the continuous focus and experimentation in his studio are more important than any external validation.
The exhibition "oscar murillo: el pozo de agua" is not only an accumulation of works from Murillo's oeuvre but also an invitation to engage with time, space, and human experience in a way that challenges traditional notions.
Murillo's body of work is characterized by abstract paintings with layered black, blue, and orange brushstrokes and thick textured paint, but his relationship with surfaces is more complex than a simple obsessive focus on the plastic sense. He sees surfaces as registering marks and energy, and in his latest piece "manifestation", oil, oil stick, spray paint, dirt, and graphite are combined to create a dynamic and layered effect.
The show also highlights Murillo's recent series of works titled "Social Mapping", which involves placing surfaces around buildings for others to mark. This piece is an evolution of his earlier work "Frequencies", which he describes as a global network that attaches itself to the framework and infrastructure of schools, collaborating with children as vessels. He sees these works as a way to document the passing of time and the thoughts and experiences of people.
The exhibition also features a new installation titled "The Water Well" in the patio of the gallery space, which acts as an encyclopedia containing fragments of material that have occupied his studio over the years. This work serves as a testament to Murillo's process and invites visitors to consult it before viewing the paintings on show.
Murillo's artistic practice is deeply rooted in his experience of being a witness to global change and social unrest. His works reflect this by incorporating elements such as migration, history, and memory, which he sees as essential to understanding our current moment. The show "oscar murillo: el pozo de agua" is a testament to Murillo's artistic vision and his ongoing quest to challenge traditional notions of time, space, and human experience.
The reception of Murillo's work in Latin America versus elsewhere in the world is a subject he has touched upon in previous interviews. While it may not be a topic he explicitly addresses in this interview, his recent show highlights how ideas born out of a shifting global order can resonate across different cultures and contexts.
When asked about personal favorites among the works on display, Murillo's mention of "The Water Well" installation suggests that for him, this piece holds a special significance. This work is not just an accumulation of marks but also serves as a repository of memories and experiences that inform his artistic vision.
Murillo has faced questions about his market darling status early in his career, but he dismisses the notion of being a "star", preferring to focus on his practice. His response suggests that the continuous focus and experimentation in his studio are more important than any external validation.
The exhibition "oscar murillo: el pozo de agua" is not only an accumulation of works from Murillo's oeuvre but also an invitation to engage with time, space, and human experience in a way that challenges traditional notions.
- you gotta dig deep to understand what's really going on! 
His obsession with surfaces isn't just about aesthetics, it's about tapping into the energy and marks of history itself 
. Love how he challenges our notion of time and space...it's like he's asking us to rethink what we think is real 
! Oscar Murillo's work is so mind-blowing, you know? He's all about challenging our idea of history as linear, like time is actually all mixed up and stuff 
. I mean, have you seen his "Social Mapping" series? It's like he's creating these interactive installations that encourage people to mark surfaces around buildings – it's so cool! 
.
it sounds like he's trying too hard to be deep 
. His "Social Mapping" series, where people are encouraged to mark buildings with their thoughts and experiences, speaks to the idea that history is not just a linear progression, but also a messy, multifaceted thing 
. And I think that's what makes "The Water Well" installation so compelling - it feels like a kind of archaeological repository for Murillo's own artistic thoughts and experiments 
.
. Oscar Murillo's art is like, super unique and reflects his experiences growing up watching global change happen around him. He's not just making paintings, he's creating this whole new way of thinking about time and space. The way he combines different materials in his works is genius! 
"manifestation" is literally stunning, all those different textures and colors coming together to create this dynamic effect 
he's got this really unique perspective on the world, where he sees history and memory as these kind of fluid things that can shift and change over time 
. It's just a bunch of people marking stuff on buildings with spray paint... is that really art? I mean, I guess it's some kind of commentary on how we document time and space, but it feels like a pretty superficial take to me.
... it's like he's taking all these different stories and emotions and layering them on top of each other, creating this depth that you can't just see at first glance 
. Anyway, Murillo's show is definitely one to check out... his energy is palpable even through the images