The North 2013

Editor: Right now, we're looking at "The North," a 2013 installation by Enrique Martínez Celaya made of wood. It's just...this stark, geometric house form. I am getting an almost primal, elemental vibe from the simplicity. What's the key to interpreting such abstraction? Curator: Notice how the artist renders the primal image of "home" nearly unlivable through the heaviness of form. It evokes associations far beyond simple shelter. Think about the weight of cultural memory imposed onto such a simple, geometric image. Does the sheer bluntness of this wood carry historical significance? Editor: That’s interesting! Is the house-shape acting as a universal, almost Jungian symbol here? Curator: Precisely. Consider the Jungian archetype of the house, embodying the self and the family unit. Now imagine that the family cannot live there. The material also impacts any sort of familiar symbolism. Editor: What about the flecks of light all over the shape? Do these speak to a religious background? Curator: Possibly. Those star-like points might relate to the heavens, suggesting navigation, longing, perhaps even a lost origin. What memories and longings does this provoke for you personally? How does it make you feel about 'home'? Editor: Now, reflecting on how the material, the star-like perforations, and its stark form all coalesce... I understand its iconic pull more deeply. Curator: Indeed. Through these seemingly simple visual symbols, Celaya touches upon profound anxieties about belonging and direction.