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Whether he creates large-scale installations, sculptures or drawings, Philip Aguirre y Otegui (°1961, Antwerp) has a unique and consistent visual language. His body of work is determined by a fascination for the simple beauty of everyday objects, other cultures and art history, combined with an intrinsic social engagement and humanism. 

 

At one hand Aguirre collects and uses objets trouvés to create intuitive sculptures, following a technique one could call sculpture automatique – reminding of the surrealist technique écriture automatique. Aguirre often strives to create sculptures that contain a perfect formal tension, comparable to the famous Spanish still lifes from the Baroque era.  At the other hand, Aguirre creates sculptures that focus more on the human figure. Often, the artist’s sculptures contain a subtle or implicit social criticism and miss individual characteristics in order to communicate about la condition humaine and mankind in a universal manner. 

 

Aguirre’s sculptures are mostly made from traditional materials such as bronze, terracotta, wood, clay and plaster. In his solo Habla la Tierra, the artist will mainly focus on terracotta – a material he enjoys working with since the beginning of his artistic career.

 

In addition to Habla la Tierra, Philip Aguirre presents three temporary large-scale sculptures in Knokke during the summer. Poort – a man and woman supporting each other while forming a gate – and Kolom – a sculptural interpretation of a sketch by Francis Picabia – will be placed on the Van Bunnenplein. In front of the gallery one can visit Kariatide – a female pillar carrying a man. To conclude, Aguirre finalised his permanent installation this year in school De Pluim, showing a 10-meter high tower that gives the students a place for silence and repose.  

 

Lien Craps

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