Abraham Cruzvillegas
Wright Imperial Hotel
2004
Wright Imperial Hotel
Wright Imperial Hotel is a bow and arrow made out of feathers, a São Paulo phone book, and other materials. The title is a reference to a building Frank Lloyd Wright designed for Tokyo, which was completed in 1923. In its heyday, which lasted until after World War II, the hotel was reserved for elite personnel, many of them foreigners. With the passage of time, it came to be seen as outdated and dingy, and it was demolished in the 1960s. Abraham Cruzvillegas’s work ironically and humorously symbolizes the hotel imposing presence. He presents us with the ultimate symbol of democracy—a phonebook—pierced with arrows. The sculpture is a symbol of solidarity imperiled by imperialism.
Abraham Cruzvillegas is known for his intricate and elaborate sculptures and installations crafted from found and scavenged materials. Cruzvillegas draws significant inspiration from the resourcefulness he has observed in impoverished rural and urban areas, where people construct houses and essential items using recycled materials like cars and bottles. This influence is evident in his innovative practice of autoconstrucción (self-construction), which emphasizes the creative potential of repurposed parts and urban detritus. By transforming discarded objects into useful and aesthetically compelling works, Cruzvillegas highlights themes of sustainability, adaptability, and resilience. His work not only challenges traditional notions of value and materiality in art but also offers a poignant commentary on social and economic disparities. Cruzvillegas’s work merges conceptual depth with the tactile immediacy of everyday materials, reflecting the ingenuity of human improvisation and survival.