Within the framework of GAMA festival (Mexican Associated Art Galleries), Proyecto H presents the artists Isabel Alonso Vega (Madrid, Spain) and Han Sungpil (Seoul, Korea) with their recent work. An exhibition showcasing the Spanish artist’s sculptures and the photograph series “Frozen Fires” by the Korean artist. This exhibition follows the presentation made on the 20th anniversary of Zona Maco Art Fair where the work of both artists was exhibited.
The main elements of this exhibition are smoke, fire, and the imprint. Both approach these concepts from their technique. Isabel Alonso Vega encapsulates the smoke through layers of acrylic forming abstract, dynamic, and moving images. The images, like nebulas of black smoke, reflect an intimate discourse of the artist, while the spectator can capture the essence deeply and intuitively.
“My work speaks of fear and human pain, I visualize them as enormous and terrifying clouds of smoke that only exist in our minds. As smoke, we can dissolve them, we just need to touch them,” says Isabel Alonso.
Her work gives us some answers about beauty, pain, the intimacies of love, and loss. Her compositions seem alive and constantly moving, even though they remain static and floating.
The work of Alonso Vega dialogues with the photographs of Han Sungpil. An artist eager for the rescue and awareness of the environment. His work attempts to reflect on nature and resilience. The photographic series of the exhibition is titled Frozen Fire.
In August 2017, after an intense storm, a forest fire broke out in Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada, burning more than 20,000 hectares, which would mean more than a third of the park.
The artist visited the devastating place in late spring 2021 when the affected area was covered in snow. It was as if the huge forest had never existed. The artist describes it as “a feeling of silence and stillness while nature healed itself.”
The pieces, despite being photographs, create the illusion of an oriental painting or drawing in graphite. The tall pines and trees covered in soot are fine black lines in the composition. The work, despite appearing to be printed in black and white, is in color. Only through the subtle shades of brown, pink, and blue can one appreciate that the reality of this place is almost two-tone.
Han Sungpil’s photographs remind us of resilience, of how this forest remains strong and tries to be reborn after damage. His photographs also aim to make the viewer aware of how important it is to protect the environment, trying to avoid the environmental impact that humans often cause.
This exhibition tells multiple stories and reflections through smoke. It is an exhibition that allows us to look into the inner world of two artists, who, when they talk together, unleash depth and complexity in their work.
SMOLDER: Isabel Alonso Vega and Han Sungpil
Sep 19 – Nov 3, 2024
Proyecto H
Mexico City, Mexico
