Juan Ortiz-Apuy: Tropicana

About

When confronting the environmental crisis, in which unbridled production of goods is threatening the diversity of the natural world, it is essential that we take an interest in how things are displayed, commercialized, and consumed, whether in brick-and-mortar store windows or online.

This youth exhibition, specially designed for kids and teenagers aged 6 to 14, casts a critical eye on modern consumer society and advertising aimed at children, which often features animals, colours, sounds, and shapes designed to appeal to them. For the occasion, Montréal-based Costa Rican artist Juan Ortiz-Apuy has created a visual and sound environment allowing visitors to explore the language of advertising and its ability to act on us, in sometimes unexpected ways. The artist based his research on new marketing strategies that have emerged in the social media era, i.e., the phenomenon of “unboxing” and ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) videos. A genuine foray into the world of objects, this exhibition seeks to examine the way we consume today—always with a touch of humour—to better understand its future impacts.

The Tropicana exhibition tour is supported by the Canada Council for the Arts and the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec. The exhibition was produced in 2020 by VOX, centre de l’image contemporaine with financial support from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec.