Sleeping Multitude (2008)
Fundament Studio
The work of Eric Reyes-Lamothe is mainly conceptual in character and derives form observations on the possibilities of a community to manifest itself as body or mass. Reyes-Lamothe elaborates these observations in poetic drawings of groups of people.
These drawings are never autonomous but ought to be interpreted with the notes and considerations that the artist adds as separate apendices. Reyes-Lamothes work is in the end deeply socially engaged, with a powerful sympathy for the anonymous masses, which despite all kinds of actual or potential suppression can never be completely curbed.
The artist decided, conform his idealist starting points, not to choose for a personal work of art. His proposal is a consortium, an open forum, and completely dependant on the collaboration of many other parties. Reyes-Lamothe, who has a self-evident interest in the square as arena for the masses, continued his general research into the history and meanings of squares in general. He explored just as much the context of Pieter Vreedeplein, the town of Tilburg itself.
He was struck by the airy mobility of the many cycling citizens, which for him are a metaphor for the power of the individual, but also by the corporate space atmosphere of the square, which is not real public space, partly expressed by the fact that real estate developers have the power to decide that no art is allowed in the mall or on the square. Reyes-Lamothe discovered that the lowest level of the underground parking garage is never used; it is new empty space, only provided with neat lighting and standard muzak.
The artist’s proposal is a plea to give this space to artistic action: lectures, concerts, dance-events, theater and dance and exhibitions. Slightly hesitant the artist does a proposal for a visual art project: an installation consisting of a large number of small trailers provided with video screens, in which sleeping and snoring people can be seen and heard. Reyes-Lamothe obviously prefers the alert cyclist.
Chris Driessen, Fundament Foundation, Tilburg, Netherlands
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