Gathering Place
Mirrors, metal, and LED
900 x 1695 x 1290 cm (approx.)
354 x 667 x 508 in (approx.)
IFS, Chongqing, 2023
Gathering Place (2023) is Gustavo Prado's first public art project in Asia. Located in Chongqing, in the southwestern region of China (almost 2,000 km from Beijing), the installation resembles a forest, echoing the city's mountainous terrain and its distinctive skyline, filled with imposing buildings. For three months, the nine-meter-tall structure, consisting of 124 LED light columns and hundreds of circular mirrors, could be visited in the outdoor plaza on the third floor of a building. The artwork functions as a meeting point or communal space where the mirrors, positioned at different angles but all facing downward, create an experience that is both individual and collective, inviting viewers to explore and connect with the installation in various ways. This recurring interest in the production of public artworks by Gustavo Prado resonates particularly in Chongqing, a city marked by large migratory flows throughout its history and now recognized as a melting pot of cultures, characterized by its diversity and inclusivity. While engaging in dialogue with local issues, works like this also point to transnational thinking by, for example, using materials and processes that are part of the universal vocabulary of the construction industry. Incorporating the global production chain as material and a globalized language of construction processes made it possible for the work to be assembled with the artist's remote supervision. The project also involved the collaboration of five emerging Chinese digital artists in creating an interactive virtual space, as a tribute to Chongqing's status as one of China's smart cities.
Mirrors, metal, and LED
900 x 1695 x 1290 cm (approx.)
354 x 667 x 508 in (approx.)
IFS, Chongqing, 2023
Gathering Place (2023) is Gustavo Prado's first public art project in Asia. Located in Chongqing, in the southwestern region of China (almost 2,000 km from Beijing), the installation resembles a forest, echoing the city's mountainous terrain and its distinctive skyline, filled with imposing buildings. For three months, the nine-meter-tall structure, consisting of 124 LED light columns and hundreds of circular mirrors, could be visited in the outdoor plaza on the third floor of a building. The artwork functions as a meeting point or communal space where the mirrors, positioned at different angles but all facing downward, create an experience that is both individual and collective, inviting viewers to explore and connect with the installation in various ways. This recurring interest in the production of public artworks by Gustavo Prado resonates particularly in Chongqing, a city marked by large migratory flows throughout its history and now recognized as a melting pot of cultures, characterized by its diversity and inclusivity. While engaging in dialogue with local issues, works like this also point to transnational thinking by, for example, using materials and processes that are part of the universal vocabulary of the construction industry. Incorporating the global production chain as material and a globalized language of construction processes made it possible for the work to be assembled with the artist's remote supervision. The project also involved the collaboration of five emerging Chinese digital artists in creating an interactive virtual space, as a tribute to Chongqing's status as one of China's smart cities.
Measure of Dispersion (2014-ongoing) is a series of sculptural installations that aim to amplify and manipulate the spectator’s field of vision. Made from concave and convex mirrors of many sizes that Prado attaches to industrial metal structures, the sculptures create something akin to an anti-camera that reconfigures the viewer’s vantage point and amplifies notions of (dis)location.
Rather than capturing a specific moment like a camera, the mirrors reflect a fragmented body seen from uncontrollable angles and different points in space simultaneously. The resulting viewer experience is a challenge to the impulse to project preconceived assumptions onto what we see: we are made to test our sense of familiarity with our surroundings and, more importantly, with ourselves.
Rather than capturing a specific moment like a camera, the mirrors reflect a fragmented body seen from uncontrollable angles and different points in space simultaneously. The resulting viewer experience is a challenge to the impulse to project preconceived assumptions onto what we see: we are made to test our sense of familiarity with our surroundings and, more importantly, with ourselves.
