Please join us for the opening reception of “Mercancía de Pacotilla,” the first U.S. solo exhibition for Mexico City-born visual artist Marek Wolfryd.
The exhibition surveys the dominant models of artistic expression seen in late-stage capitalism and the circulation of images, merchandise, and intellectual property deeply rooted in Western thought. Continuing his research into the dynamic interplay between the Far East and the West, the artist relates early modern-era trade routes connecting Asia, America, and Europe, specifically the Manila Gilleon, The Road to China, and The Fleet of the West Indies, with contemporary visual culture that mirrors post-capitalist global markets of fabrication and consumption.
The transformative period of global trade throughout the 16th and 19th centuries is what Wolfryd and several historians recognize as the initiation of the Modern Age, positioning the birthplace of globalization as present-day Mexico City. Informed by this intense commercial relationship between New Spain (present-day Mexico) and Zhonggou (present-day China), all the featured works in the exhibition are either totally or partially produced in China and later shipped and assembled in Mexico.
The exhibition’s title, “Mercancía de Pacotilla,” references the historical term used for early modern merchandise that high-ranking sailors and captains traveling were permitted to bring on board for personal investment or payment. These goods often evaded taxes and inspections, facilitating the illicit contraband of various commodities across oceans and continents.
Now arrived in Los Angeles, the exhibited works become artifacts that unveil the intricate web of pre-existing and active globalization networks. They shed light on the profound impact of these networks on Western culture, revealing the assimilation of America into the tapestry of Western ideology that started at the beginning of the Modern Era.
“Mercancía de Pacotilla” will be on display at Aparador LA from January 29th to July 30th, 2023, with an opening reception held on Thursday, January 29th, from 6 to 9 PM, and a closing event on Saturday, July 29th, as part of Gallery Weekend Los Angeles. Artist walkthroughs will also be available on Saturday, July 1st, 2023, from 11 AM to 5 PM.
All events are limited capacity, please schedule your visit by emailing bryan@aldochaparro.com or DM @aparador.la.
