When Utopic Gallery invited Gema Alava to think about a way to present a project in her birth city, she thought that there would be not better way than to do so by re-encountering Madrid through the eyes of other artists. This is how FOUND US was born, an adaptation from her art project FIND ME that she developed in New York and San Franciso in 2009 with the participation of Lawrence Weiner, Merrill Wagner, Robert Ryman, Arne Svenson, Paul Kos, Ester Partegas, Barbara Holub, Lars Chellberg and Maria Yoon.
The open Call for FIND US was sent via UTOPIC GALLERY and the following 5 projects were selected:
“Cicatrices Urbanas” por/by Guillem Juan Sancho
“Deja el Agua Correr” por/by Natalia Aufray y Ana Pérez Pereda
“Find Me” por/by Julia Andrea Vilchis Villavicencio
“22” por/by jaume.tv
“Pantalones” por/by Pepe Molero
The action of hiding and documenting the artworks of FIND US took place in Madrid during October 19-23, 2011.
The presentation of FIND US will take place in 2012 in UTOPIC GALLERY, Madrid. Curator Monica Iglesias will present a collective exhibition with the body of work of the participants of FIND US and Gema Alava’s photographs taken during the action FIND US.
ARTICLES ON THIS PIECE
Grau, Anna, “Nunca Pierdas Un sombrero en vano: FIND US.” /Cuarto Poder, 12/04/2011
Lopez, Carol, “Conectado: Gema Alava.” /On Madrid, EL PAIS, 15/10/2011
Grau, Anna, “Gema Alava: Me fascina la gente que cree que no entiende de arte.” /ABC, 5/14/2011
