Daniel Otero Torres

The work of Daniel Otero Torres is grounded on the re-construction of ideology through drawings done by hand over aluminium and steel. Moving in the frontier between drawing and sculpture, Otero Torres’ origami-like constructions appear at first as uncanny grand-format black and white photographs. Upon closer inspection, one realises the images are in fact handmade drawings, laboriously done with graphite pencils over a flat surface that has the visual weightlessness of paper but the actual density of metal. The artist’s unusual technique succeeds in creating a dislocation of materials as well as of contexts: his images often represent not a single individual but a visual and historical collage created from a number of sources: from antique archives and books, to found images in contemporary newspapers or online sources that reflect the artist’s process of understanding the role of marginalised or largely ignored populations that have, nonetheless, played essential roles in recent and past history around the world. ...

Established in Paris since 2010, mor charpentier represents both emerging and well-established artists whose conceptual practices are anchored in social realities, history and the politics of contrasting geographic regions. By promoting international practices, the gallery aims to broaden the knowledge of crucial debates of the present. A significant inaugural show with Colombian master, Oscar Muñoz, fulfilled a void in the French artistic scene by broadening the spectrum of origins, subjects and identities in the art market. Ever since, a growing number of major international artists have joined the gallery. Coming from different generations and global backgrounds, they all share a commitment to either political, feminist, post-colonial, queer or human rights causes. Amongst them are Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Teresa Margolles, Chen Ching-Yuan, Liliana Porter, Bouchra Khalili, Carlos Motta, Hajra Waheed, and more. Equal gender representation and diversity is also part of the gallery goals, with half of the represented artists being women. In 2021 mor charpentier opened a second exhibition space in Bogotá. This expansion was driven to expand the reach of the gallery program to new publics and encourage artists to explore new territories. It consolidated a long-term bond with the Latin American art scene and the international projection of the gallery. ...