Beatriz González: Zócalo del Duelo

Galerie Peter Kilchmann presents an intervention in the gallery corridors with posters by Beatriz González. This special project in the gallery is part of a larger intervention the artist is doing in different public spaces in Zurich with posters. The title of this project is “Zócalo del Duelo: Duelo con celular (Foundation of Pain: Mourning with cell phone)”.

Beatriz González’s work “Zócalo del Duelo” draws reference to the the project “Zócalo de la comedia” and “Zócalo de la tragedia” from 1983 and is closely entangled to groups of works like „Las Delicias“ from 1997 in which the artist portrays the pain in view of the violence of her country. “Zócalo del duelo” alludes to a specific event in the recent history of Colombia in 2015, when an agreement of peace was signed in order to end an armed conflict that has lasted for more than 50 years.

The artist affirms that “if there is no pain, there is no piece” and creates the “Zócalo del duelo”, a work composed of two posters which are meant to be mounted in the streets. Each part of the diptych shows a woman in the moment of grief, waiting for news from her beloved ones, husband or son. In an intent to protect her emotional state one woman is covering her eyes with her left hand while a small mobile phone in her other hand seems to be evidence of a recently received or outstanding message. The other woman tries to wipe away her tears with a handkerchief.

The reduced color and simplified shape of the figures bestow the work a genuine appearance closely connected to national Colombian identity. At the same time it allows the artist to endlessly reproduce the protagonists, transforming them into powerful signs which stir up reflections about universal values.