Briefly introduction to Felipe Ridao’s oeuvre
2013, Artworks, References, SELECTED WORKS

Briefly introduction to Felipe Ridao’s oeuvre

The Artwork is that paradoxical instance which -beyond judgments about its quality- establishes cavities of consciousness in the incessant flow of the information/ communication. Contrary to a luxury, it is a essential breathing for any evolution: democratic, individual and collective. Goy B 2004. Projet Cône Sud Catalogue. Fonds régional d’art contemporain, Île-de-France. Bernard Goy’s contemporary definition of artwork and -in a way- of contemporary art, will be of great help to introduce Felipe Ridao’s artwork. “Felipe is an Uruguayan artist, settled in Oslo, with formal studies in graphic design and an artistic self-taught background.It is really hard to determine if “informal” learning is a positive or negative asset for an artist. In the particular case of Felipe, the lack of an orthodox artistic education allowed him to naturally break the imposed (and self-imposed) boundaries of the Uruguayan contemporary art scene. His artwork, which started with the brink of the second millennium, is developed in diverse expressions including live performances and public events. Even though Felipe has categorised his work into three groups, namely: “Brands (Series)”, “Images” and “Situations”, his artwork follows an internal logic that is not identified and/ or distinguished by shapes or images, but by the creation of situations or by exposing relations where opposed narrative elements are purposefully set against: those linked to media’s ideology and visual communication aesthetics, to those of ideological borders of cultural spaces, and/or to elements of the consumer and performing arts industries. The opposition of these elements creates spaces of contradiction, or…

Brands, References

REFERENCIA – 2012 – CANESSA

“Felipe is perhaps one of the best designers of his generation, and I mean it from the place of someone who has hired services of several designers in the past 15 years. I think his most important characteristic is the “refinement” of his work, something very scarce in today’s massified world.”

Diego Canessa
Uruguay, 2012
(Director of SCIO)

Interventions, References

REFERENCIA 2005 – TAVELLA

“LOGO(*) is one of the most refreshing proposals in the regional contemporary art scene. Even though in some cases their actions are not considered by them as artistic, that also work in LOGO’s favour. In this sense, a significant part of their work, discusses the limits of the field of art, which is evident in the concept they reprise “no more art, just life”, introducing a tension for the more conservative agents. Through this staging about the boundary between art and “not art”, this collective manages to create a space to go through the specific field of artistic production, a prerequisite for taking the necessary distance inherent in the making of any critical thinking. While every field of production tends to be reckless, to revolve around an illusion, takes important steps in the moments when it is to objectify and one is aware of its mechanisms; in those moments when it’s structure is partially exposed. I understand that LOGO works in this sense.”

Santiago Tavella
Uruguay, 2005
(Curator, visual artist, musician, and former director of Montevideo’s Contemporary art centre: SUBTE. )

(*)Felipe cofound LOGO in 2003 and worked there until august 2006.

Artworks, References, SELECTED WORKS

REFERENCIA – 2005 Muntadas

“LOGO (*) is a consistent project between art and life. They produce mostly urban interventions in diverse media. Actions within their personal, social and cultural context, through a language that emphasizes in the mediation and the process of self-productions. Their most recent work, “LOVETOUR:” reflects on the condition of the contemporary urban individual by promoting new modes to transcend daily situations.”

Antoni Muntadas
USA, 2005
(conceptual artist, Professor at the MIT)

(*)Felipe cofound LOGO in 2003 and worked there until august 2006.

2003, References

2003 – Referencia by Hiroshi Hara

“Although he’s not a graduate of an architecture school, I know of Felipe Ridao very well. (…) I highly rate his talent in design. I believe that Felipe can, -even in an international field-, work effectively and actively in well tone with others. I can recommend Felipe from my prior experience with him”

Hiroshi Hara
Japan, 2003
(Japanese Master Architect, author on architecture and Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo.)