One of the most important artists to come out of a burgeoning scene in Mexico City, Abraham Cruzvillegas has garnered international acclaim for his dynamic assemblage sculptures made of found objects. Published by the Walker on the occasion of the artist’s first major survey, this volume explores the rich terrain of Cruzvillegas’ work over the past 10 years, rooting his sculptural language within the volcanic landscape of his childhood home in Ajusco, Mexico. The publication elaborates on his interest in autoconstrucción, or “self-construction,” a method of building arising from the constraints of poverty, in which parts are recycled and adapted for new purposes.
Developed in collaboration with the artist, the volume features five essays examining autoconstrucción through the lens of art history, politics, architecture, and urban migration in Mexico in the 1960s. The catalogue also illustrates sculptures by Cruzvillegas and features materials such as his photographs of Ajusco, song lyrics inspired by his neighborhood, maps depicting urban migration, and musical and filmic references that together represent a kind of atlas of the artist’s mind.
Bilingual (English/Spanish).