Abel and Élio by Lola Gonzàlez

About

Lola Gonzàlez works in moving image and performance. Viewed together, her recent films unfold one after the other like reoccurring dreams, becoming darker and more unsettling when viewed in succession. Her works use simple visual forms and tropes to question the power and limits of the collective, and display narratives that are influenced by legends, dreams and popular culture such as pop songs and French new wave film.

Her films seem to take place in the same imaginary universe, and feature groups of young people, usually made up of friends and peers of the artist. Their purpose is unclear, but there is a sense of waiting for some major event that is due to take place. Gonzàlez’s watchful protagonists are often portrayed in a group, gazing out across landscapes and cityscapes or performing complex practices and rituals which bring to mind military manoeuvres. Landscape acts as a strong counterbalance to regimented human movement and connection.

In Gonzàlez’s world, people wash up on beaches and join isolated communes, in which they wait, without technology, without language, in a kind of limbo state (Rappelle-toi de la couleur des fraises). In Les Anges and Now my hands are bleeding and my knees are raw, people seem enchanted by unseen forces, their movements take on the characteristics of animals. There is an unspoken synchronicity amongst the subjects of Gonzàlez’s gaze, and they often help and take care of each other. The camera focuses on body movement and non-verbal language within the collective, as well as shared experiences such as meals, music, play and dance. This focus is influenced by Gonzàlez’s childhood living in communal environments. She takes this approach when creating her work as well, often working closely with the films protagonists to determine the outcome of the work.

Lola Gonzàlez was born in 1988 in Angoulême, France and lives between Brest and Paris. She is a graduate of the Fine Arts School of Lyon (2012). She is recipient of France’s prestigious Meurice Price 2016 and nominated for Prix Ricard 2017. Her work has been exhibited in several French and international institutions including MAC Lyon; Le Crédac, Ivry-sur-Seine (2017); Palais de Tokyo, Paris (2016); Centre d’art contemporain, Brest (2016); Biennale de Lyon (2015); Centre Pompidou, Paris (2014). In 2016, Lola Gonzàlez was awarded a residency at Temple Bar Gallery + Studios, supported by the French Embassy in Ireland and the Institut Français. She is currently artist in residence at Vila Medici, Rome.

The exhibition is supported by the French Embassy in Ireland and the Institut Français.