El Universal
The artwork derives its name from a conservative Mexican newspaper that disseminates local and global news encompassing politics, culture, and the financial sector. The installation features newspapers affixed to the wall and defaced with aerosol paint. In conjunction with this piece, an artist's book has been compiled, featuring scanned images of flyers sourced from public spaces, predominantly phone booths in Mexico City, which solicit workers for informal and unspecified job opportunities. The book's flyers have been arranged to transition gradually between hues, reminiscent of a Pantone chart, progressing from warmer colors to cooler shades and back to black.
The artwork demonstrates the intersection of two seemingly divergent, yet interconnected economic sectors: the official economy of financial markets and the informal economy of the black market, purportedly the world's second-largest economy. The search for precarious labor opportunities in the black market is clandestinely promoted on the streets through flyers. Despite both being ubiquitous and poorly regulated, the official economy is legitimized by the state, while the other is not. Placing these economies in juxtaposition nullifies the financial markets, while illuminating the visible range of shadow economies.
1/8
Year: 2013
Medium: Spray paint on newspaper, printed matter
Dimensions: Variable
Installation at Hessel Museum of Art, New York.
