It’s hard for many artists to find a space to work in and a space, which then pays its way on the crust of what was created in and around it – this is an accomplishment.
Many artists today have strong business acumen. They are not waiting to die and don’t aim to live in struggle. This is a tough one for the rest of us though. Society may very well need art that turns its back on the world in order to become authentic and make things bloody or beautiful. The individuals who make up society however all share a common drive to live better and though this means different things to each of us, we are all artists of our own lives faced with the question of how to live on our own terms and pay rent and accept or navigate “civil” law. The rent part, for example, screws things up. It makes us take day jobs that devour our energy and insist that our lives don’t parallel our passions or desires. It becomes easy to be lazy.

Iguapop never was and neither were the growing list of talented artists attached to the space: Boris Hoppek, Miss Van, Adolf Gil, Blami, Tim Biskup, Victor Castillo, Catalina Estrada, Jaime Hayon, Sergio Mora, Paco y Manolo.

Iguapop makes money.
Artists make money.
Artists make art.
Iguapop makes possibility.

Possibility, which itself is an art that shouldn’t be overlooked.
The Birthday show consisted of nearly symmetrical works from these artists mounted on a clean wall, a buzzing vernissage and an after party that saw Jon Kennedy exporting his Brighton beats to Barcelona and managing not to get robbed on the Ramblas.
My only disappointment with the show is that Adolf Gil’s piece wasn’t mounted in the toilet – I’d seen in there the night before and it’s created in a way that varied light provides varied images – absolutely different, absolutely stunning images, 3 paintings embedded in one canvas. Something we tried to highlight in Illustrated Works, knowing well that his work is one you really need to see for yourself – absolutely sic.
Iguapop makes money, not art and here’s the twist, they can say that and feel proud in place of embarrassed cuz they appear to make money in a beautiful way.
www.iguapop.net

Words: HL