Leandro Erlich: Fragmentos de una Casa

Argentinian visual artist Leandro Erlich is opening his second solo show at Luciana Brito Galeria. Fragmentos de Una Casa is composed of three never-before-shown artworks/installations, especially conceived for the gallery space: Window and Ladder,Skylight and Shattered Door.

In his work, the artist uses space and architecture in a peculiar way. Unlike architectural spaces, however, his creations have no function – “Art allows for a place where functionality does not exist,” Leandro Erlich states. His pieces do not lead to remote places, but to everyday places presented in pieces. A window, a ladder, a skylight, a door – common elements that compose sophisticated artworks.

The artist is known for deluding the viewer, who becomes a participant in his work, creating impossible and surrealistic, yet very true-to-life situations. The work is interactive and, for this reason, appreciated by every sort of public. Leandro Erlich’s gaze does not lead to distant or unknown places; the final effect is simple and clean, even though the pieces involve complex materials and technical devices.

According to Doug MacCash, concerning the installationWindow and Ladder, the artist “achieves a surreal elegance with his ladder leading to nowhere, reminiscent of the work of Rene Magritte.”

Leandro Erlich reveals the extraordinary without hiding the tricks: “the viewer can understand the entire process, it is recognizable. The trick is not presented to deceive the viewer, but to be understood and resolved by him/her.” It can be said that the illusions the artist creates are aimed at deautomatizing our everyday experience, going beyond commonplace logic, and they always bear an intermittent dose of humor.

Leandro Erlich (Buenos Aires, 1973) is currently one of Latin America’s artists enjoying the greatest international projection, participating in various art biennials, such as the Biennale di Venezia (2001 and 2005), Bienal de la Habana (2000), Whitney Biennial (2000), Istanbul Biennial (2001), Shanghai Biennale (2002), Liverpool Biennial (2008), Singapore Biennale (2008) and Bienal Internacional de São Paulo (2004). Recent solo shows of his works have been held at Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, in Madrid (2008), at P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, in Long Island City (2008) and at Museo d’Arte Contemporanea de Roma (2006).