Cristian Castro’s latest exhibition, “Robotix: Intersections of Art and Technology,” features new work expanding on his practice repurposing vintage appliances and found objects. Each room is defined by different themes that pertain to the entire exhibition: beauty, provenance and invention.

27 Fish, 2018

 

The first room, featuring 27 Fish (2018) and Mantix (2011), is defined by beauty and the elevation of form over function. The fish are kinetic yet serve no purpose other than to be aesthetically pleasing. 27 Fish resembles deep-sea angler fish characterized by glowing eyes and a luminescent orb floating in front of them. Their appearance blurs the line between domesticated pet and menacing predator, bearing sharp metallic bars for teeth contrasted by their suspension in time and space with invisible wire.

In the second room, a giant bright red-orange crab comes into view. Castro deconstructs a Volkswagen Beetle, recreating the form of a crab from car parts to make Egg 771 (2008). A fantastically constructed sculpture that you could almost see move if you blink slowly enough is entrapped in stasis. With the inclusion of a license plate, it refers directly to the sculpture’s past life.

Mantix, 2011

The last room contains video and audio works that place the viewer among the stars. It features two previous works, titled P-81 Magnus (2011) and Hunter (2011), and a brand new piece titled Immortan Joe (2021). The cosmic inspiration of planetary limits uses the past to imagine the future. Castro’s particular brand of retro-futurism manifests in GI-Joe-esque robotic soldiers by using vintage film cameras, vacuums and other found objects to echo eyes, bodies and weaponry.

The materials that Castro uses are recognizable and their origins speak for themselves. With the way technology advances exponentially year by year, it displaces so many technologies that we have used to define our eras, our childhoods and ourselves. This has created a society of excess and waste. By Castro honoring the obsolete through renewal and extension of life, it seems it’s not only art but also a public service.

 

Cristian Castro: “Robotix: Intersections of Art and Technology”
Building Bridges Art Exchange
On View April 17 – June 5th, 2021