Raúl Cerrillo

CAM Galería presents Transhumanismo, an exhibition by Raúl Cerrillo.

Raúl Cerillo’s creations are characterized by the construction of surfaces with multiple layers of paint, acquiring a three-dimensional appearance. Each piece, according to the artist, is traced as a "path or trail" that leads the viewer to come face to face with a portrait of his mind. Each layer of paint, line, and figure that is hidden or highlighted in his works invites us to reflect on how data, ideas, feelings, and critical positions accumulate in his mind. The artist finds inspiration in his inexhaustible curiosity to understand the world around him. His creative exercise transcends limits and overflows, as does his desire to share his cosmogony with the public, raising awareness and transmitting the knowledge he has acquired. For Cerillo, artistic creation and the search for knowledge are not two separate things but flow in his life in a constant, necessary, primitive, and intuitive way. His work reflects the knowledge acquired on mother cultures, ancestral philosophy, and theories on the origin of life and the universe. This knowledge can be controversial or underestimated by Western conservative thought, however, it is there where the artist finds his answers.

Transhumanism*1, the title that the artist has chosen for his exhibition becomes the central axis. It is about the idea of a human being who lives 500 years, who improves, regenerates, does not suffer, evolves, and becomes stronger every time, all this about technology. In his series Paleofuturismo, 2023, the artist presents a series of sculptures inspired by the Aztec, Olmec, and Mayan cultures, which are intervened with elements that provide us with clues about the past and future of humanity. These sculptures include QR codes that are integrated into their ancient appearance of gods, such as Ah Muzenkab, the protector of honey, and the Melipona Maya bee. Although this insect has no sting and is in danger of extinction, it has survived for centuries and continues to pollinate thousands of species on our planet, challenging the Darwinian idea of survival of the fittest. In addition to Paleofuturismo, 2023, the exhibition presents two other representative series of the work of Raúl Cerrillo. The first, Lenguaje Del Agua, 2023, was made during his artist residency in Miami, in which, with his characteristic style self-described contemporary baroque, the artist creates abstract images that allude to cruise ships at sea. Through his works, you can appreciate the chimneys, reflections, and other characteristic elements of these impressive ships. The second, Transhumanism, 2023, is made up of pieces that are reconfigured, perfected, and refuse to cease to exist. Cerillo has collected tablets from various sources, such as a yoga studio, charged with the energy of all the people who have meditated on them. These boards have been used by the artist for paint tests and have been in storage for years. Now, in this exhibition, these tables come back to life, integrating themselves as part of new works that see the light today in CAM Galería.

*1: Transhumanism: “It is a cultural, intellectual, and scientific movement that affirms the moral duty to improve the physical and cognitive capacities of the human species, and to apply new technologies to man so that unwanted and unnecessary aspects can be eliminated. of the human condition, such as suffering, disease, aging, and even mortality” (Nick Bostrom, World Transhumanist Association)

— Catalina Restrepo

Raúl Cerrillo (Mexico City in 1977) Artist-activist, studied at the INBA National School of Arts “La Esmeralda”. Parallel to his artistic studies, he has focused on learning and understanding the inner Self, the biology and technology of the body, and everything related to pre-Hispanic cultures and rituals, including shamanism and power plants. In addition, he is committed to the social betterment of his community, creating programs focused on the power of healing through art, nature, and meditation in places with high rates of poverty and marginalization, including prisons. He is also co-creator of the international platform for the exhibition of Mexican-inspired art, Shaped in Mexico.

He has had numerous individual exhibitions in Mexico and has participated in group shows in Venice, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Barcelona, Milan, Paris and London. He has been awarded twice with the Puebla State Scholarship for the Arts and the FONCA National Scholarship for the Arts. In addition, he obtained the Puebla Contemporary Art Acquisition Award and the same award from the city of Monterrey, Mexico. He has had numerous honorable mentions from various national artistic and cultural institutions. And also, he has been nominated for best Latino visual artist at the LUKAS London 2014 awards; He also won first prize at the Alfredo Zalce Biennial, one of the most important recognitions for painting in Mexico.

— CAM Galería