Curator: Malva Castillo Venturelli

Name artist: José Venturelli
Title of the work you have chosen: Caballero del Lucero
English title: "Rider of bright star"
Year of production: 1983
Material: Acrylic paint on canvas

 


Malva Castillo Venturelli is the coordinator of the Fundación José Venturelli in Chile. A while ago, The European Foundation Joris Ivens got in contact with the Fundación José Venturelli because Venturelli and Ivens used to be friends in the past. Venturelli died in 1988, just one year before Joris Ivens past away. We asked Malva Castillo Venturelli to select a piece of art in the light of 'Politics and Poetry'. She selected 'Caballero del Lucero' which means "Rider of bright star". Read the interview down here.

Name curator: Malva Castillo Venturelli

Function: Cultural management and Production Coordinator

Country: Chile

What is the aim of the Fundación José Venturelli: Dissemination and preservation of the work of Chilean artist José Venturelli. Creation and implementation of cultural and educational projects

Tell something about your history (life/work/education/happenings) and what was crucial for your evolution of thoughts and ideas about the art and politics?
I was born in Geneva, Switzerland. I am the daughter of Chilean exiles product of the dictatorship imposed in Chile since 1973 by Pinochet.I studied Visual Arts Degree mention painting.I did a diploma course on Gender, Sexuality and Culture and a Masters in Cultural Management. Working on José Venturelli Foundation since 2011.My work is developed in the framework of the production of artistic exhibitions of the work of José Venturelli and dissemination of humanist thought.In addition, developing educational projects for the most vulnerable sectors of our society that fall under the themes of human rights, identity, historical memory and art.
 
 What can you tell about this painting? This painting belongs to what we call the third stage of plastic production Venturelli, where he develops his own plastic and iconic language combining the most important referential artistic movements that influenced his work (Mexican muralists, German Expressionism and Chinese painting).
Specifically this work, depicting a peasant galloping was an unknown horizon during sunrise. This iconography composed by this rider is very recurrent in the symbolic construction of Venturelli, referring to the identity of the Chilean peasantry is made. Furthermore, the distance stands the morning star (planet venus) a clear reference to the title.

How does this painting relate to the theme ‘politics and poetry’ in your opinion?
This work is full of symbolism referring to a series of concepts. In political terms refers to the struggle of the bold peasantry, represented by this rider galloping swiftly, reflecting also a powerful conviction.
The strong color poncho, represents this power, this force and violence and fury of that struggle. That fuzzy horizon is uncertainty, too, the loneliness that leads to a fight and courage of some men to deal with a system of inequality as voracious.
However, in the untamed of this landscape we can recognize a mountain in the distance whose reading could be "the promised land" (return from exile), "the ideal reached", "to struggle" or "home" (Homeland).
 
The poetry of this work is of great symbolic content of literalidade free. Since the chromatic build up the character's position in relation to the environment. There is a dark atmosphere full of solitude as opposed to an energy and strength.
Permanently José Venturelli, referred to the close link between the power of the transmutation of nature and socio political paradigms of our history.

Are politics and poetry (or politics and arts) two separate worlds according to you? Why / why not? 
No, I think there is this link between politics and poetry because politics is structured around the binary thoughts / values and those ideas / values are related to the imaginary people. Ideologies has to do with purpose, "ideal" and according to this, the poetry of "believe", "create" and "Destroy" is concentrated. Finally, the existence and death are permanently linked in metaphors constructions relative to one another.
 
What would you like to happen or to see within (film)art and/or politics nowadays and do you have recent inspiring examples of that?
I think that art should assume its role as social agent in its different currents. We are all social subjects belonging to a society, and speak only from individualism to circumvent this condition. Therefore, I would like that art was an inspiration, a source of critical reflection and an agent of change in this ruthless socio economic system. I think, that in certain artistic movements, especially framed postmodernism from its theoretical framework to as operating within certain cultural markets do not fulfill this purpose. Although not new, I find it interesting the work of Barbara Kruger and Nan Goldin. As they address the issues of gender and marginalization, which may extend to a system that constantly seeks in its structure exclude the "other" category and reaffirm their "different", which does not respond to hegemonic canons (racial, sexual, economic, etc)

For the ‘P&P’page there doesn’t have to be a direct link between Joris Ivens and the artist, but Venturello and Ivens do have a link with each other. Can you tell something about their relation?
Ivens and Venturelli were friends for 20 years. They shared an ideal political partner in common, their vision of the human condition, its struggle and misery. Moreover, both were artists and travelers.In fact coincided in some countries.
 

 

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