The Storytellers: Narratives in International Contemporary Art

Description

A catalogue inspired by the tradition of Latin American literature and authors such as Jorge Amado, Jorge Luis Borges, Pablo Neruda, Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The unique storytelling tradition which characterizes Latin American literature has influenced many contemporary artists around the world. Within this context, it is interesting to investigate the work of contemporary artists from around the world who are inspired not only by these authors, but by literature and poetry in general, as seen in works that are typically highly narrative. Naturally, there is a strong emphasis on artists from Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Colombia - such as Vik Muniz and Ernesto Neto from Brazil, Monika Bravo from Colombia, but the catalogue is not limited to Latin American artists - see for example Ryan Brown and Tracey Snelling from US, William Kentridge from South Africa - and the literary sources of inspiration also extend to other parts of the world. The works featured are not literal interpretations of these authors' works, but all allude in some way to literature and poetry. The cross between text and image, poetry and poetic subject matter creates a strong thread that ties the works together.

Selene Wendt is the director of the Stenersen Museum. She is an art historian, curator, and writers, and has organized a number of international exhibitions.