Damián Ortega: Merging Reality with Possibility

Presented February 24, 2018 at Nasher Sculpture Center

Through the use of wit and humor, Damián Ortega deconstructs both familiar objects and processes, altering their functions and transforming them into novel experiences and scenarios. Ortega’s works play with a scale that ranges from the molecular to the cosmic, applying the concepts of physics to human interactions, in which chaos, accidents, and instability produce a system of relations in flux. Inverting and dissecting, reconfiguring and zooming in, he explores the tension that underlies every object and the infinite world inside them. The result of his inquiries reveals the interdependence of diverse components, be it within a complex engineered machine or a social system. Although his projects—which he envisions through drawing—take form in sculpture, installation, performance, film and photography, for Ortega the work of art is always an action, an event. His experiments inhabit a space where possibility and the quotidian converge to activate a new way of looking, one that transcends the original context of simple objects and everyday relations.

Find out more about the 360 Speaker Series and view presentation by past speakers at http://www.nashersculpturecenter.org/360

Presenting Sponsor of 360: Martha and Max Wells.
The 360 videography project is supported by Suzanne and Ansel Aberly: this support enables digital recording of all 360 Speaker Series programs and the creation of an online archive for learners of all ages.
Additional support for 360 Speaker Series provided by Sylvia Hougland and gifts given in her memory.