Vaishnavi M. (10.1)

Alfredo Jaar

Alfredo Jaar is an ARTIST, ARCHITECT AND A FILMMAKER.

He was born in the year 1956 in Santiago de Chile.

He lives in New York.He studied architecture and film direction

before moving to New York in the early 80s.

He is known for his wonderful installation arts.

Alfredo Jaar’s life…

Jaar’s works are very popular and have been exhibited in several parts of the world. He has participated in many events , in Venice, Sao Paolo, Johannesburg, Sydney, Istanbul and Kwangju Biennales and many other places.

A few of the recent exhibitions were at the New Museum in New York, The Whitechapel in London, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, the Pergamon Museum in Berlin and the Moderna Museet in Stockholm.

Alfredo Jaar’s life…(cntd.)

Problems like:o Military conflictso Inequalities of power between industrialized

and developing countrieso Corruptiono Etc.He uses a lot of photography in his art worksHis best artwork was the The Rwanda

Project which lasted for 6 long years. This art work was about the Rwandan genocide which took place in the year 1994.

Jaar’s Artworks…

In all his installation art works, photographs, his films and community projects, Alfredo Jaar tries to show the public’s insensitivity towards different problems occurring in the world today.

One can clearly notice the various problems Jaar tries to depict in his art works.

Jaar’s Artworks…(cntd.)

Some of his artworks…Gold in the Morning -

1986Coyote! - 1988Rushes - 1986-1987Three women - 2010The Fire Next Time -

1989 Geography + War -

1989Muxima - 2050Real Pictures - 1995red lights in the

Cupola - 1999

Rwanda Project - 1994–2000

The Sound of Silence - 2006

Cien Anos de Soledad - 1985

The Marx Lounge – 2011

Unseen - 1994

Cien Anos de Soledad (1985)These are neon lights which stand out as compared to the other kinds.

“Cien Anos de Soledad” means, “One hundred years of solitude”, immediately after which it says, “no realmente” which means, “not really” in English. According to me, the colours have been used well. White signifies peace following which are the red lights which signifies the ‘lie’ in the statement above it in white. This also makes me think about how, at times, people say things that are accepted as the truth, but the truth could be exactly opposite.

I like that you have written what you felt, What is your personal reaction to the medium he uses.

Unseen (1994)This art work of Alfredo Jaar, was in a room that was completely sealed. It had no windows and just 1 door.

There are 18 black box-like structures in this artwork. They look suspended in air. They have white hidden light in the groves beneath them. These lights are the ones that help us identify the number and the different boxes and light up the room a bit.Because Jaar makes all of his artworks related to the political and social world and also about the problems we are facing, according to me, what he could be trying to show is the suppression of the people and how they are not allowed to state their points of view. Therefore, very little of their ‘light’ or ‘positive effects’ are seen usually.

Muxima (2005)“Muxima” means “heart” in the indigenous language of Angola.

This is one of the movies that was created by Alfredo Jaar. The movie is based on two people, one of which is an extremely lively and the other person is sad and slow and is not happy with life.

The lady on the left, the one with the umbrella is the person who is happy in life, whereas the one on the right is the depressed one.

I like the idea that has been portrayed in the movie of placing two people with different personalities together.

Three women (2010)

The Marx Lounge (2011)The Marx Lounge was a Stedelijk Museum Bureau in Amsterdam which was a place that had been converted into a reading room/library with comfortable sofas, reading lamps and a large reading table. The reading table had a variety of books placed on it spread out in a very organized manner.

This reading room made it very comfortable for people to gain and share their knowledge which they’d gained thorough books. According to me, the red colour given to the interiors of the place, will make it very welcoming and warm for the people and will also keep them wide awake just so that they can gain as much knowledge as the can.

In this artwork, Alfredo Jaar has tried to show the effects of war on people. The photograph on the left hand side was taken before the war and the eye of the person on the right hand side was taken after the war. There is a clear difference in the states of the eye.

The Eyes of Guetete Emerita (1996)

The right eye is blackened. It is filled with sorrow and disparity whereas the eye on the left hand side is brighter, healthier and shows happiness in the person. Placing the two photographs together helps the reader in understanding the ill effect and be aware of the problems war creates.

http://metroartwork.com/alfredo-jaar-biography-artwork-m-96.html

http://resonancefm.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/alfredo-jaar-head-shot.jpg

http://www.artnet.com/Galleries/Exhibitions.asp?gid=652&cid=98404&source=2&type=2

http://artnews.org/files/0000061000/0000060500.jpg/Alfredo_Jaar.jpg

http://www.art21.org/videos/segment-alfredo-jaar-in-protest

BIBLIOGRAPHY…

http://www.e-flux.com/shows/view/9462http://hoodmuseum.dartmouth.edu/collection

s/recent/200617.htmlhttp://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?re

s=9B03E6DE1331F933A25750C0A9609C8B63

BIBLIOGRAPHY…