ST. PETERSBURG, FLA.- Uruguayan-Spanish artist Yamandú Canosa (born in Montevideo, Uruguay 1954) creates an intense dialog between Surrealism and contemporary art in The Visit, a new exhibition of paintings, drawings and photographs. The Visit features both abstract and figurative works set in a dramatic installation especially conceived for
The Dalí Museum, with a majority of the works created for the exhibition.
On view exclusively at The Dalí Jun. 18 – Oct. 30, 2022, The Visit includes new and earlier works by Yamandú Canosa, plus a small selection of related Salvador Dalí works from the Museum’s renowned collection. Organized by The Dalí, the project is curated by Dr. William Jeffett, Chief Curator, who worked closely with Canosa on the exhibit concept and has previously published about the artist’s work.
“The Dalí is committed to tracing the lineage of the Avant-garde that precedes Salvador Dalí and continues in his wake; Yamandú Canosa is an important part of this legacy,” said Dalí Museum Director Hank Hine. "The Visit invites us to ask what lies ahead and provides a powerful interpretation of the contemporary relevance of Surrealism.”
The Museum’s Hough Gallery is transformed into a contemporary interpretation of the Bay of Port Lligat, Spain, the magnificent setting of Dalí’s home. Displayed through four interrelated walls, the largest component of the exhibit includes concepts of Sa Farnera, the small island that closes the bay; Tramuntana, which refers to the strong northern winds that sweep across the region; Casa (house), which refers to Dalí’s home and studio, and Playa (beach), where fishermen stored their boats on the coastal sand of Port Lligat.
“This project allowed me to resignify my work from the perspective of Surrealism, and to create a meaningful conversation between the movement and contemporary art,” said the artist, Yamandú Canosa. “What better place to hold this visual and conceptual dialog than the House of Surrealism in America, The Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida.”
Canosa's installation also pays homage to Surrealist techniques including the Dibujos ciegos (Blind Drawings), a series of performative works on paper that the artist has created from an object using automatic drawing procedures. This practice generates enigmatic images and also makes reference to Surrealism’s fascination with the unconscious.
Born in 1954 in Montevideo, Uruguay, Yamandú Canosa became involved in the Montevideo art scene in the 1970s while studying architecture, and it is where he had his first solo exhibitions. He moved to Spain in 1975 and since then lives and works in Barcelona. Canosa’s work has been featured in exhibitions around the world including in Montevideo, Uruguay; Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Seville, Salamanca, Figueres, Spain; Paris, France; Venice, Italy; Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Hanover, Germany; Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Los Angeles and Miami, among other cities. In addition to being present in international private collections, Yamandú Canosa's works are represented in a number of museums and foundations worldwide.
Yamandú Canosa’s work was shown by The Dalí for the first time in St. Petersburg and Albuquerque in the 2006 exhibition Picasso to Plensa: A Century of Art from Spain, co-organized by The Dalí and the Albuquerque Museum. In 2019, Canosa represented Uruguay at the 58th Venice Biennale with his project La casa empática (The Empathic House). Previously, in 2000, Canosa received the Pollock-Krasner Foundation Fellowship and, in 2006, the Jennifer Howard Coleman Distinguished Lectureship and Residency Fellowship from the Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles. In 2007, Uruguay awarded him the prestigious Pedro Figari Prize.
The Visit will be accompanied by a catalog as well as an audio tour narrated by the artist within the free Dalí Museum App. The Museum has organized several programs and events inspired by this special exhibit, including a conversation with the artist on Jun. 20 and various lectures about the topics of contemporary art and Surrealism throughout the duration of the exhibit.
