Damián Ortega present Planets: Battle, Paper, his first solo exhibition in China. Known for creating monumental sculptures from everyday objects, Ortega reflects on the strangely human nature of these non-human characters that populate the mythology of contemporary culture.
This exhibition brings together 11 large-scale sculptural works by Damián Ortega. The sculptures draw on the Judas figures of traditional Mexican culture, while incorporating contemporary references—most notably the world of Transformers—to construct a new cosmology that neither abandons local tradition nor is confined by it. The gigantic, handcrafted Transformers relinquish their threatening power and become pawns in the game of life. What emerges is an unexpected dimension of humbleness and weakness—machines with feelings.Through these works, Ortega seeks to reclaim the fantasies and myths embedded in everyday life, returning the viewer to real time and to the human condition, and inviting them to rediscover the “planets” within their own inner worlds.
Ultimately, Ortega’s aim is to bring everything back home—to a space where the mind, at any age, can embrace its shifting identities, rediscover the importance of play, and reconnect with the quiet magic of games invented in the backyards of our lives.
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