Kiosko (Hendrix)

Kiosko
Refugio
A pair of cylinders with tree-like cut-outs.
The sculpture in 2018
Map
ArtistJan Hendrix
Year20 July 2009 (2009-07-20)
MediumAluminium cut out and baked with white ceramic paint
MovementContemporary art
Dimensions6 m (20 ft) × 4.8 m (16 ft) × 4.8 m (16 ft)
LocationPuebla, Puebla, Mexico
Coordinates19°2′36.7″N 98°11′52.1″W / 19.043528°N 98.197806°W / 19.043528; -98.197806
Websitejanhendrix.com.mx

Kiosko (lit. transl. "pavilion" or "gazebo"), alternatively known as Refugio (lit. transl. "shelter"), is a 2009 outdoor contemporary art sculpture by Dutch artist Jan Hendrix, installed in the Zócalo (main square) of the city of Puebla, in the Mexican state of the same name. It was requested by the Fundación Amparo to honour philanthropist Ángeles Espinosa Yglesias. The sculpture consists of two aluminium cylinders painted white and cut to resemble tree foliage. Critics have highlighted the integration of the sculpture's design with its surroundings.

Description and history

Jan Hendrix, 2011

Kiosko or Refugio is a sculpture by Dutch artist Jan Hendrix, installed in the Zócalo, the main square of Puebla, Puebla, Mexico, on 20 July 2009.[1] It was commissioned by the Fundación Amparo to honour Ángeles Espinosa Yglesias, a philanthropist from the state.[2][3]

The sculpture features two cylindrical aluminium bodies cut out and baked with white ceramic paint. It is 6 metres (20 ft) high, 4.8 metres (16 ft) wide and 4.8 metres (16 ft) deep.[3] The cylinders feature tree-like cut-outs that create a transparency effect, making elements behind the artwork visible. Kiosko is a contemporary artwork inspired by the gazebo created by Eduardo Tamariz Almendaro [es] in 1883, emulating its circular base and intricate filigree ornamentation.[4]

Reception

For Jose Maria Wilford, Kiosko starts with integration into its green and brown surroundings, highlighted by its white ceramic-coated metal. He considers that while it resembles trees, it also reflects local lace-making inspiration. In his opinion, the outer cylinder features openings that interact with the inner cylinder, creating a dynamic interplay of light and shadow. He adds that the inner cylinder remains enigmatic and accessible only through imagination and a spiritual experience.[5]

For Pedro Ángel Palou García [es], Hendrix transformed the concept of gazebos by designing one that distorts and fragments reality. He commented that instead of being transparent, the walls of the artwork filter the view of the surrounding jungle.[3] He emphasised it depicts the temporality and compared it to the Möbius strip or an infinity symbol where past and future converge in the perpetual present.[6] In the book Jan Hendrix: Landfall (2019), published by the Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo, Cuauhtémoc Medina wrote that in works like Kiosko, "Hendrix's open-air interventions exude the utopia of [modernity] reconciled with an imaginary greenery".[7]

Elvia de la Barquera wrote for La Jornada de Oriente that the artwork differs from other contemporary artworks installed in the historic centre of Puebla, because it is not a bust of a historic person and it is not a bureaucratic project. For her, the sculpture takes the foliage as the main figure in a city where trees are indiscriminately felled or damaged.[8] In 2011, Iván Ruiz wrote for the same newspaper that the artwork is a disruptive part of the landscape, noting that its modern design and stark, monochrome look stand out against the city's vibrant colours. Ruiz lamented that two years after its installation, the sculpture seems to have gone unnoticed by residents and local media, making it appear that contemporary art is trivialised.[2]

There have been intentions to remove the sculpture but these have not materialised.[4][9]

References

  1. ^ Mellado May, Lesly (28 July 2009). "El encaje de Ángeles" [The lace of Ángeles]. Puebla Online (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 17 June 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  2. ^ a b Ruiz, Iván (22 August 2011). "La enfermedad de la estetización" [The disease of aestheticisation]. La Jornada de Oriente (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Palou García, Pedro Ángel (9 March 2021). "Jan Hendrix, bitácora de la fragilidad" [Jan Hendrix, log of fragility]. MundoNuestro (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 14 June 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  4. ^ a b De la Barquera, Elvia (19 March 2021). "La contemporaneidad en un espacio histórico" [Contemporaneity in a historical space]. e-consulta (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 19 March 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  5. ^ Wilford, José María (1 April 2024). "Espacios. Analogías arbóreas: la vegetación es la luz" [Spaces. Tree analogies: vegetation is light]. Arquine (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  6. ^ Palou García, Pedro Ángel (5 June 2017). "Carta de Boston - Mirándonos mirar, el Kiosko de Jan Hendrix en el Zócalo de Puebla" [Letter from Boston - Watching us watch, Jan Hendrix's Kiosk in the Zócalo de Puebla]. Diario 24 Horas Puebla (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  7. ^ Medina, Cuauhtémoc (2019). "Jan Hendrix: Graphic art and dérive". Jan Hendrix: Landfall (PDF) (I ed.). Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México). p. 165. ISBN 9788417047948. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 September 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  8. ^ De la Barquera, Elvia (7 August 2009). "Monumento y compromiso" [Monument and commitment]. La Jornada de Oriente (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  9. ^ Cevantes, Elizabeth (10 March 2021). "No se afectará al comercio con obras en el zócalo" [Trade will not be affected by works in the zócalo]. Síntesis (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 10 March 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2024.