the other square with no corners

Rafael Domenech

14 Oct 2022 — 14 Jan 2023

Rafael Domenech (born in 1989) has chosen Passerelle Centre d’Art Contemporain for his first exhibition in France. A few years ago he moved to New York after first leaving his home island of Cuba for Miami. He finished his studies at Columbia University, and was deeply influenced by the teaching of his art teacher and friend, Rirkrit Tiravanija, a champion of Relational Aesthetics. This concept does not refer to a specific group of artists but to a way of creating art in relation to others. Domenech became part of this way of thinking about participatory art that engaged the public. His works are therefore architecture to live in or sculptures to handle and are interested in the social fabric and history of a place.

One of the fundamental questions asked by Domenech when he accepted this invitation to put on an exhibition in France, and in Brittany in particular, was how he should position himself as a Cuban American in a country, context and culture where he was a foreigner. He wished to avoid any hegemony or cultural imperialism and was seeking a dialogue which was yet to be defined. During his visit to prepare his exhibition, as he strolled around the town, Domenech was fascinated by the profusion of socially and politically committed messages in the area of Saint Martin where Passerelle is located. He noticed stylised anti-fascist stickers, graphic slogans and posters that were sometimes militant and sometimes advertising various public events. So he settled on the title of ‘the other square with no corners’, as both a homage and a comparison, evoking Place Guérin, the famous square in Brest, known for its intermingling of people and ideas. In a spirit of co-creation and of sharing the tool which... [lire plus]