Latin America

Pedro Reyes

Adam Smith

2008

Pedro Reyes, Adam Smith, 2008

Adam Smith by Pedro Reyes reinterprets the influential economist through a contemporary lens. This puppet was made for the artist’s video series Baby Marx which stages conversations between socialist theorist Karl Marx and the capitalist economist Adam Smith. Creating puppet versions of these and other historical figures, Reyes explores issues inherent in capitalism through opposing and intersecting ideologies.This cartoon-like representation of Smith incorporates industrial materials and digital components, merging past and present puppetry techniques that allude to the complex and sometimes contradictory nature of Smith’s legacy. Notably, the work forgoes classical sculpture for puppetry; an irreverent commentary on the hierarchy of artistic mediums that also renders intimidating philosophical ideologies more accessible and legible. Reyes’s work invites viewers to reflect on the foundational principles of capitalism and their manifestations in current global dynamics. The artwork is both a homage to Smith’s revolutionary thoughts and a critical examination of their application and evolution over time.

Pedro Reyes’s work traverses art, film, architecture, design, social criticism, and pedagogy. Educated as an architect, Reyes draws on this training to engage with utopian aspirations and the ongoing legacy of Modernism, often focusing on issues of scale and space while questioning pressing social issues through the incitement of individual or collective interaction. Although only a few of his works are directly located within the practice of building, almost all involve some kind of construction, whether they are objects, models, interiors, or social spaces. Reyes also makes use of strategies developed for communication or education, as well as everyday humor, to engage his audiences. Many of his works either allow large-scale public engagement or suggest a possible use: weapons turned to shovels, multilevel parks in old modernist buildings, and small spherical rooms. Like many avant-garde thinkers of the past, Reyes constructs forms of architecture necessary for new ways of life.

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Pedro Reyes Adam Smith

Pedro Reyes

Adam Smith