Darío Escobar (1971, Guatemala). Currently resides between Mexico and Guatemala.
"Conceptual artist Dario Escobar creates large-scale installations using sports equipment that transcend mere play. Through these popular recreational objects, Escobar explores the history and culture of Guatemala in a global context. His work is characterized by the use of common, mass-produced materials, such as motor oil, bicycle tires, and soccer balls, combined with Guatemalan craft techniques and mythological references.
In his Modular Constructions series, begun in 2016, he explores geometric abstraction through structures designed for the viewer's physical interaction. These works are constructed following design principles of everyday objects, incorporating bands of color and patterns, recalling industrial aesthetics and the graphic design of transport trucks.
Other key pieces are Obverse and Reverse XXXIV and Obverse and Reverse XXXVI, which delve into geometric abstraction and challenge traditional notions of sculpture. These pieces are not only three-dimensional, but also encourage the sense of touch and manipulation, allowing the viewer to transform the way he or she approaches them and, therefore, their meaning. Her work seeks to question the function of objects in the context of consumerism and popular culture. In doing so, he invites us to reconsider the meaning of the everyday and the interaction with the environment, fusing elements of the craft tradition with contemporary aesthetics and promoting a deeper reflection on the aesthetic experience in everyday life.
His most recent solo exhibitions are: Mensajes Cifrados, Almine Rech Gallery, New York, 2023; La palabra es de plata, el silencio de oro, Museo Nacional de Arte (Munal), Mexico City, 2022; Mensajes Cifrados, Nils Staerk Gallery, Copenhagen, 2022; A VECES LAS COSAS FUNCIONAN POR LAS RAZONES WRONG, RGR Gallery, Mexico City, 2021; Tras la serpiente Roja, ArtNexus, Bogota, Colombia, 2019. She has also participated in the collective exhibitions: El Dorado: The Myths of Gold Part II, Americas Society, New York, 2024; Making Worlds. An approach to reading the FEMSA collection, Museo de Arte e Historia de Guanajuato (MAHG), León, Guanajuato, Mexico, 2022; L'Etranger, NO NAME Creative Projects, Paris, 2022; Gangwong Triennial 2021 | Archivo3: Residents' Daily Memorial, Hongcheon Museum of Art, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea, 2021; Balls, OOF Gallery, London, 2021; Emerging Selections 2020, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA), Chicago, 2020. ”