Jorge Méndez Blake: I Will Defend Poetry

Mai 36 Gallery hosts a new solo exhibition by artist Jorge Méndez Blake: “I will defend poetry“. In this exhibition Méndez Blake introduces the idea of (M)Ars poetica by Horace, Huidobro, or MacLeish -the art of poetry, the meditation on how to write poetry, the role of the poet-, a linguistic game by combining Mars, the Ancient Roman god of war and protector of the people against their enemies, encouraging “poetic action”, conscripting us to defend poets, language, and literature.

It addresses several threats: climate change, the current health crisis, economic catastrophe, and socio-political indifference, as well as the constant violence of our post-capitalist societies. Once again, poetry is placed at the bottom of the list of properties and must be defended.

“I will defend poetry” is a personal statement and a call from the visual arts to support poetry to remember the power and energy that poetry conveys.