This artwork features an arrangement of ripe yellow bananas displayed in a row, their curved shapes creating a rhythmic wave-like pattern. The overall composition emphasizes the iconic form of the banana, utilizing its distinct curvature and vibrant hue to produce a visually striking and minimalist aesthetic. The artist's use of the banana as the sole subject matter and the careful placement of the fruits suggest a focus on exploring the inherent beauty and symbolic nature of this ubiquitous tropical product. The simplicity of the design and the repetition of the banana motif evoke a sense of playfulness and lightheartedness, perhaps hinting at the artist's intention to draw attention to the overlooked elegance within the everyday. ...
Belén Uriel’s art practice is centered on household objects and how the way we interrelate with them can condition our social habits. She concentrates on the sculptural qualities of materials such as glass and metal in the rendering of organic shapes that are originated by the design of objects that would accommodate, sustain or have a relation with the human body. These elements, rearranged by the artist, seem to transform into anatomical parts themselves, partially reconstructing and going back to the bodies that indirectly inspired their form. ...
MADRAGOA is a contemporary art gallery founded in 2016 in the homonymous neighborhood of Lisbon’s historical center. Since its beginning, the gallery has been an early supporter of a number of international young artists such as Adrián Balseca, Rodrigo Hernández, Renato Leotta, Buhlebezwe Siwani, Joanna Piotrowska, and Yuli Yamagata, whose first productions and exhibition have been produced and promoted by the gallery and often presented for the first time in Portugal. Moreover, Madragoa launched the careers of young Portuguese artists such as Sara Chang Yan, Luís Lázaro Matos, Gonçalo Preto, and Jaime Welsh, giving them visibility on the international scene. From its peripheral location in Europe, MADRAGOA’s project focuses on how to set a deep conversation with the city and its extraordinary potential, setting a dialogue between global artistic practices and local craftsmanship and ideas. The gallery always created experiences of research and production for its artists locally and promotes its program also through the participation in a number of international art fairs, gallery exchanges, and exhibition projects. MADRAGOA is currently recognized as one of the most innovative realities in the Portuguese art scene, while it succeeded to obtain visibility internationally throughout its years of its activity. At the moment, the gallery actively represents artists from Portugal, Italy, Ecuador, Mexico, Poland, Spain, Brazil and South Africa. ...
