Artist and Art Dealer Seek Alternative Venue to Showcase Latest Collection During the Trailblazing September 2019 Exhibition
MIAMI and BERLIN, Aug. 01, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Prominent South Florida-based gallery owner Bernice Steinbaum, art dealer for enigmatic and pioneering environmental artist Enrique Gomez de Molina, said the organizers of the Urban Nation Biennale in Berlin recently made a shocking and controversial decision to remove the world-famous artist from one of the most anticipated exhibitions in the international arts community.
“We are scrambling to find a new venue in Berlin that will provide the public with a unique opportunity to enjoy several of Enrique’s most visually-appealing and thought-provoking creations,” said Steinbaum. “We are asking for members of the arts community to support Enrique in this outrageous and unreasonable form of censorship.”
Under the curatorial direction of Yasha Young, the Biennale will transform the Bülowstrasse train station in front of Berlin’s Urban Nation Museum for Urban Contemporary Art into an expansive time capsule consisting of installations, interactive sculptures, and live performances intended to create profound awareness of environmental sustainability.
The exhibition, titled “Robots and Relics: Un-Manned,” will showcase more than 20 celebrated artists from all over the world by creating a unique 100-meter-long outdoor arts district open to the public from September 13-15, 2019. The featured artists include Coderch & Malavia, Cryptik, Dan Rawlings, Dima Rebus, Ekow Nimako, Filthy Luker, Frédérique Morrel, Gerhard Demetz, Herakut, Inti, Louis Masai, Milenium FX, NeSpoon, Quintessence, Nomad Clan, Rune Guneriussen, Sandra Chevrier, Theater Anu, Vermibus, and 1010.
Steinbaum said the committee originally selected de Molina because the Miami artist’s fascinating creations are made from faux taxidermized animals as well as natural and recycled materials. Several of his sculptures have sold for more than $100,000.
“Enrique shares the same conservation vision as Urban Nation,” explained Steinbaum. “However, I was notified that the curators made a hasty decision to ban him from the exhibition. They wrongly justified their decision by referring to a case that is almost 10 years old.”
In 2011, de Molina pled guilty after authorities accused him of importing endangered animals without permits or declaration and faced up to 20 months in prison.
“Enrique admitted to his mistakes and paid for them dearly,” explained Steinbaum. “Urban Nation unfairly broke our contract without giving us a chance to appeal. It’s important to note that Enrique has continued to stun and mystify the international arts community in the years following this incident, and he is highly respected among his peers, admirers, and collectors.”
About Enrique Gomez de Molina:
The nearly tangible nature of Cuban-native Enrique Gomez de Molina’s hybrid creatures fascinated him into bringing this body of work into fruition. The curious and exotic nature of the artist’s sculptures is meant to be both fascinating and humorous. The fantastic, unrealistic qualities serve as a visual experience for the viewer and himself.
The fact that these animals once existed, subsequently to be captured and destroyed, creates a sense of woe for the artist. A fond admirer of animals, de Molina strives to preserve the natural beauty of all diverse species. From minuscule insects to evocative birds, a voice is given to animals, which cannot speak for themselves. Through the re-imagined expression of the creatures’ beauty, the audience may see these animals for something extraordinary. Using ecology-sourced skins and feathers of once-living animals, de Molina hopes to bring awareness to the danger faced by a multitude of species: nuclear and chemical waste, overdevelopment, and destruction of rainforests. Genetic engineering and human evolution also accounts for the conceptualization of these surreal pieces. The notion that all planetary creatures derive from a different makeup puts into question the possibilities for natural and artificial evolution that lies ahead. De Molina examines the direction in which fauna and mankind are headed as a species.
The artist’s descriptive aesthetic yields striking and magnificent pieces. The hand-painted details, as well as the grooming of the fur and feathers, entail an extensive and elaborate process. Using head mounted magnifier lenses, de Molina, like a mad scientist, intricately crafts and assembles the creatures. This final result, the newly conceptualized animals, holds a timeless quality and value.
You can review Gomez de Molina’s extensive and award-winning collection by visiting his Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/enriquegomezdemolina/
For more about Bernice Steinbaum and the Bernice Steinbaum Gallery, please visit: www.bernicesteinbaumgallery.com/ or call (305) 987-7380.
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For More Information Contact:
Charles Jones
cjones@cjonespr.com
305-987-7418
Four photo accompanying this announcement are available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/542ed205-5ac1-4b7a-b6c4-c06dda84852b
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3caaf4a8-e817-4346-bfcc-b33494ba7164
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7ccdf271-bc8c-4781-8846-001e3f70265a
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