The UCCS Galleries of Contemporary Art will open “Echafaudages/Temporary Frameworks” by Argentina-born, Canada-based artist José Luis Torres Feb. 6.
A public lecture is scheduled for 5 p.m. followed immediately by a reception in the UCCS campus gallery, GOCA1420. All events are free and open to the public. The exhibit will be on display through March 21. Gallery hours are 12 p.m.-5 p.m. Wed.– Sat.
Torres works with salvaged building materials, found objects and recycled elements to create environments in both indoor and outdoor spaces around the world. Using waste generated as a byproduct of building construction, the artist calls attention to sustainability issues. Torres often works on larger-than-human scales, massing materials and objects and stimulating dialogue and discussion through the sculptures.
“’Doing with’ is one of my needs and a cornerstone of my approach,” Torres said. “Each work is rooted in reflection on the phenomenon of coexistence with unplanned items, modifying one another to form ever-changing environments. Constructions and deconstructions progressively explore our ways of occupying space using subversive rules. In every project, I propose a series of experiments in which the characteristics of the place, both architectural, cultural and social, are intrinsically linked.”
Torres will respond to the recent fires and floods affecting the Pikes Peak region by creating an original and site-specific sculptural installation that touches on these significant and recent natural disasters. Builders and contractors in the region donated discarded building materials for the project.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
José Luis Torres was born in Argentina. He holds a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and a master’s degree in sculpture with training in architecture and the integration of art and architecture. He has lived and worked in Quebec, Canada, since 2003.
Torres’ works have been presented in the context of numerous solo and group exhibitions in public interventions and in artist residences across Canada, Argentina, the United States, Mexico and Europe. View images and learn more about the artist here: www.joseluistorres.ca
GOCA is a regional hub of contemporary art, culture, and conversation. By featuring world-class artists, hosting artist and expert talks, and offering meaningful events, GOCA engages UCCS students, faculty, staff and Pikes Peak Region community members in contemporary culture and life. GOCA is a contemporary arts organization with two galleries, one founded on the UCCS campus in 1981 and a satellite downtown location opened in 2010 in the Plaza of the Rockies building.
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