Jose Dávila
To Each Era Its Art. To Art, Its Freedom.
Now + There
Central Wharf Park, Boston
November 2020 – Present
Calling on the visual vocabularies of Minimalist art traditions as well as brutalist urban architecture, the installation offers a striking reflection on the ideas of balance, design, development, nature, and perception. Inspired by the effects of the global lockdown and limited access to art-filled spaces, To Each Era Its Art. To Art, Its Freedom. draws its title directly from the motto of the Vienna Secession movement of the late 19th century. Building on the concepts originally posed by the collective of artists, designers, and architects at the center of the Vienna Secession, this new work by Jose Dávila is actively exploring what must be done to create a more representative and democratic art-system post-pandemic.
Responsive to both Central Wharf Park’s identity as a metropolitan refuge and its physical placement in one of the city’s busiest commercial districts, the concrete forms are arranged in a deliberately eclectic manner by the artist as a way of channeling the diverse, chaotic, and multi-dimensional ways the public interacts with the space. The work, which intentionally invites the public to sit, rest and play, on and among the sculptural shapes, explores publicness in a time of social and physical distancing and encourages passers-by and visitors to decide for themselves the function and purpose of the installation. Positioned in four clusters throughout the park each sculptural group forms its own urban mini-oasis with unique vantage points for appreciating both the park and the city from new perspectives.
Guest Curator: Pedro Alonzo
Curatorial Assistant: Inés Maldonado Cabañas
IG @josedavila / josedavila.mx
Photo credit: Dominic Chavez