Un Ruido Azul

Pierre-François Ouellette art contemporain is pleased to present Un Ruido Azul (Blue Noise) a solo exhibition of recent work by Cuban artist Glenda León, from December 11 to January 29, 2011. León brings her multi-disciplinary artistic practice together in this exhibition, exploring the boundaries of sound and vision with photographic, sculptural and installation works.

Un Ruido Azul is, in one sense, a play on words - a conversation with the viewer about meeting points in music and visual art. León explores seeing music and hearing images, interchangeable states found in her work. The transformation of cassette tapes into sculptures, the deconstruction of photos of the night sky into musical notes, a vinyl record replicated in hair; these works are a playful union of opposite associations.

Much of León’s work is linked to her background as a dancer and performance artist living in Cuba. A passion for music and choreography early in her career influenced her interest in visual art and rhythm. As an artist living in Havana, the sights and sounds became deep metaphors for her surroundings that evolved into installation-based works and conceptual projects. León’s observations of certain contradictions in Cuban culture, such as old American cars with new engines, can be found in the sometimes-ironic tone of her work, but her intentions are clearly reinforced by a desire to listen and transmit the endearing nature of her world. Un Ruido Azul demonstrates a reflective approach in León’s practice; inviting the viewer to see and hear in new ways.

Glenda León lives and works in Havana, Cuba. Her work represents an emerging voice in Cuban contemporary art and is featured in the permanent collection of the Centre George Pompidou in Paris; Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Havana, Cuba; and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts which is currently showing a recently acquired video as part of the exhibition The Earth is Blue Like an Orange until March 2011. León has exhibited her work in KHM/Museum Ludwig, Cologne, Germany; Brooklyn Museum, US; three times as part of the Bienal de la Habana; Il Bienal de Jafre, Girona, Spain; The Mattress Factory, Pittsburg,US among others. León is the recipient of the DAAD scholarship for artists in Germany, and the 2011 Beca MAEC scholarship for research in Madrid, Spain. She is the author of La condition de performance published in 2010 (Éditions Nota bene).

(click on images below for larger view, please ensure browser pop-up blockers are disabled)

Acoustic Drawing: Blue Noise 2010 cassette tape, acrylic, cardboard 80 x 98 cm (31,5" x 38,5")		Acoustic Drawing: Blue Noise (detail)

Acoustic Drawing: Rain 2010 cassette tape, cardboard 100 x 150 cm (39.5" x 59")		Acoustic Drawing: Rain (detail)

Listening to Silence 2010 cassette tape, paper, music stand variable dimensions		Listening to Silence (detail)

Hairdo for a Silent Moment 2008 digital print, vinyl record 14 x 43 x 33 cm (5,5" x 17" x 13") 3/3		Hairdo for a Silent Moment (detail)

Listening to Stars 2010 music box, digital photograph, music stand installation: variable dimensions		Listening to Stars (detail)

4 Cubic Millimeters of Music 2010 cassette tape, acrylic 3 x 15 x 15 cm (1,25" x 6" x 6") 3/3		4 Cubic Millimeters of Music (detail)

Music Box II 2010 CDs, plexiglass 7 x 10 x 7 cm (2,75" x 4" 2,75") 1/3		Adaptation II 2010 cut off CDs, cassette case 7 x 11 x 7.5 cm (2,75" x 4,25" x 3") 2/3

Square Piece of Music 2010 cassette tape, acrylic 15 x 15 cm (6" x 6") 3/3

Normand Babin. "Le poème se termine samedi" Montréalistment (blog) 23 January 2011 (in French)
John Pohl. "Somesound ideas about artistic concepts" The Gazette (Montreal) 24 December 2010
Éric Clément. "La terre est bleue comme une orange: l'imaginaire libre et décapant" La Presse (Montreal) 20 December 2010 (in French)
Jérôme Delgado. "La musique objet" Le Devoir (Montreal) 18 December 2010 (in French)
Éric Clément "Glenda León: voir la musique, entendre les images" La Presse (Montreal) 12 December 2010 (in French)
"Minimal messages mix sight and sound at Galerie Pierre-François Ouellette" RSVP Report (blog) 12 December 2010
Click here to visit the website of Glenda León

click icon below to download a recent C.V. of the artist (adobe PDF)