StandardVision Artist Spotlight: Architecting Identity and Modern Mythology with New Media Artist Enrique Agudo
For the month of November, StandardVision is showcasing 4 works from new media artist Enrique Agudo’s Ipseity series on the large-scale digital facade at the Courtyard Marriott LA Live.
The Nomad, by Enrique Agudo
A collection of unique and rich digital paintings which explore our relationship to technology through imagined deities in imagined environments, Agudo’s work aims to highlight the concepts of mythology and how those relate to our contemporary ideas around identity. Inpsired by the Pre-Raphaelites, these works present allegorical scenes about the human self and our relationship to technology. These scenes are comprised of integrated generative animations connected to real-time data, offering the viewer a moment to reflect upon and question the role technology plays in our self perception and our place in the world.
This project is a further exploration of Agudo’s The Pantheon of Queer Mythology—a virtual reality short film which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2020—about the visual dreamworlds of Queer identities in contemporary Western cities today. Made by an incredibly diverse team of mostly queer collaborators from all walks of life, its focus is not to dogmatically represent, but to simply create evocative work that will speak to marginalized audiences.
Part of Agudo’s worldbuilding process is extensive research into different mythologies and the cultures through generations. Not only does mythology help Agudo’s thinking as a storyteller, but it also helps him present queer culture in a way that we haven’t always had the privilege of seeing throughout history. Says the artist, “I’m interested in mythology as a subject because it’s the only narrative tool that’s sustained generations and has included queer characters and stories in a way that wasn’t an abomination to mainstream culture,”
Enrique Agudo’s work explores the limits of digital media. Contemporary culture is infused with digital imagery, and Agudo’s work focuses on the pattern recognition of these digital indexes and shedding light on how they affect the way we behave. This feedback loop is never ending and constantly evolving, we see the world through digital interfaces and by extension, that is how we unavoidably understand ourselves. Agudo is the Creative Director behind The Pantheon of Queer Mythology, a VR short film that had its virtual premiere at Tribeca Film Festival 2020. Enrique Agudo continues to use immersive and experimental digital media as the tools to question and challenge anthropological discourse around identity.
Catch excerpts from Enrique Agudo’s Ipseity series on view on the digital facade at the Courtyard Marriott DTLA through November 30th, and learn more about the artist on his website.
