Noëll EL Farol
2 December 2023 — 31 January 2024
Vernissage
2 December | 4:00 PM (PST)
Galleria Duemila
210 Loring Street, Pasay City
Cosmographia: An Artistic Odyssey Through Dust and Space
Art has the power to transcend time and space, offering a unique lens through which we can explore the mysteries of the universe. This is especially true of Noëll El Farol, whose deep fascination for studying culture and identity across time and space has given birth to an impressive portfolio of diverse works showcasing his technical prowess and intellectual vigour.
This is further encapsulated in his upcoming exhibition for Galleria Duemila, entitled ‘Cosmographia’, inspired by his participation in the recently concluded Nakanojo Biennale held in Gunma Ken, Japan.
The exhibition draws its name from the renowned work by Sebastian Munster, a polymath of the 16th century (1544-1628), whose book, “Cosmographia”, captured the imagination of his era. Set apart for its remarkable success with 24 editions published within 100 years, Munster’s “Cosmographia” served as a gateway to the world’s knowledge, encompassing a wide array of subjects, from geography and astronomy to theology and ethnography. The Nakanojo Biennale chose to embrace “Cosmographia” as its main theme, and this endeavour converged patrons, artists, and cultural collaborators in a unified goal, fostering a unique synergy between art and community.
The latest collection gleans from and serves as an extension to EL Farol’s participation in the Biennale. In his show for Gallery Duemila, EL Farol takes inspiration from Munster’s work, interpreting it as a trove of ideas and experiences that resonate with every person and viewing the mysteries of this universe as an inspiration for various interdisciplinary theories. “I would like to explore the spatialisation of narrative and merge my observation into something familiar and unfamiliar,” says El Farol. The result is a collection that reflects his deep fascination for the cosmos and the study of the cluster of particles that move through space.
As an artist, EL Farol has never shied away from experimenting and navigating different materials. This is proven once again in this latest endeavour, where he takes on the challenge of working with powder pigments, a medium known for its unique characteristics and complexities. Working with the medium, El Farol confesses, brought to the fore the idea that everything would come from dust and return to dust. “Taking dust as a medium in art constitutes a problem and concern,” he admits. “And the medium itself is a question or problem to be explored. I would like to strip away the essentials of painting and printmaking and relate to some timeless understanding that the nature of the media can offer.”
2023
powder pigment on serigraph paper
56.52 x 81.28 cm. / 22.25 x 32 in.
Proving once again that he is a scientist almost as much as he is an artist, El Farol remained meticulous in his approach to creating each piece for the collection, which is brought to life on whole-sized BFK Rives paper, measuring 32 x 22.25 inches. Although “Cosmographia” marks El Farol’s 21st solo exhibition, it is his third solo exhibit featuring dust on paper, the first ‘Free-Falling Bodies’, at Bliss on Bliss Project in New York, USA in 2013 and the second, “Grounded” at Galleria Duemila entitled ‘Grounded’ in 2015.
The latest edition, which showcases his signature mark-making without hand pressure, further underlines the artist’s collaboration with nature, utilising gravity as a secondary medium. Overall, the process not only challenged EL Farol, it also served as a vehicle for self-reflection. “When I experienced working with raw materials, glass, silica, oxides, and lines, it gave me an idea of how solid form is developed out of these particles,” he shares. “Heat transformed the raw materials that go through various stages, from solid particles to molten form, to transparent and solid form material. When fused together, the interaction of various substances and the densities of these materials produced ultra-cooled liquid material called glass. These forces and particles populated our universe, also creating dark matter and dark energy.”
“Cosmographia” is more than just an art exhibition; it is an artistic journey through space and dust, harkening to Carl Sagan’s beloved quote: ‘The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.’. Indeed, the collection serves as a testament to the enduring curiosity of the human spirit and its quest to unravel the enigmas of the cosmos.
“Cosmographia.” will be open to the public from November 28, 2023, to January 31, 2024 at Gallery Duemila, which will offer a unique opportunity to explore the boundless mysteries of space through the eyes of a visionary artist.
– Hannah Jo Uy
About the Artist
