EDGAR ORLAINETA
WHAT WE SEE OF THINGS IS THE THINGS
14 NOV 2024 – 25 JAN 2025
CARBON 12 is delighted to present Edgar Orlaineta’s first solo exhibition with the gallery, ‘What We See of Things is the Things’. In his new body of work, Orlaineta reflects on the philosophical explorations of perception and essence, challenging traditional notions of art and the birth point of objects through his profound engagement with materiality and meaning, just as Fernando Pessoa does in his seminal book, Poemas de Alberto Caeiro (1911-1912).
Orlaineta’s exploration of objects as non-functional or decontextualized allows him to strip them down to their purest form: a thing. What is it that differentiates things from objects, or even from art? How do these things interact with their environment? Is it the environment that gives them meaning, or vice versa? At what point during the process of making something, does it actually become something?
These are some of the questions the artist aims to demystify through his processes and transformations, as he continuously challenges the seriousness of art, the functionality of objects, and the environments in which they exist.
Orlaineta’s organic and geometric forms engage with the space in which they are created. This interaction creates direct contact between the artist and matter, manifesting a dialogue between himself and the world’s bluntness. Throughout the process of creating these objects, the artist highlights the transformative states taken on by his materials as he manipulates them. Within this practice, the artist can visualize this metamorphosis of matter. Being part of each part of the process allows him to experience how a thing becomes a thing.
About Carbon 12
CARBON 12 was established in 2008, initiating a comprehensive, firmly global, program of institution-grade artists. Internationally active, CARBON 12 continuously introduces and promotes both established and emerging artists to the UAE contemporary art scene, supplementing its 5-6 annual exhibitions with diverse contextual activities including publications and talks that actively engage the public and educational institutions. The playful, organic process that constitutes the creative production of CARBON 12’s artist base is facilitated and mirrored by its location in Al Quoz.
Opening hours: Monday – Saturday, 11:30am – 7pm
Address: Unit 37, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz 1