Is man the measure of all things, or is it nature? Is it valid to pose this question when man and nature seem to be mutually exclusive terms? While we live in times of scarce certainties, one undeniable truth is that man has no future without nature. However, despite the knowledge that our planet’s resources are not infinite, despite climate change experts incessantly warning of impending disasters, we, the men and women inhabiting this world, fail to fully grasp the immediacy and gravity of the situation. We fail to realize that the planet’s warming and its irreparable consequences largely stem from human activity; tasks and actions associated with the emission of gases that are currently essential to the life we are accustomed to living.
Does art have something to say about this? As a human practice that appeals to reason and intellect while also engaging sensitivity and perception, it’s highly likely that it holds the capacity to contribute.
This doesn’t imply that art inherently harbors the power to effect significant political and social change, nor do Joaquín Fargas’ works serve a cause, no matter how urgent and vital it may be. His proposal aims to function as a platform for sensitive awareness towards one of the most pressing issues of our time: the preservation of planet Earth, the only current habitat for the human species.
Considering artistic events and their social and historical dimensions as parts of the same whole, we hold hope that Joaquín Fargas’ artworks will inspire a positive change in people’s attitudes and actions towards environmental preservation.
Florencia Battiti – Exhibition Curator