Hernan Bas, Michael Bauer, Los Carpinteros, Raffi Kalenderian, Jorge Macchi, Teresa Margolles, Melanie Smith, Tercerunquinto, and Erika Verzutti

With an evolved and wide-ranging oeuvre within the course of only a few years Hernan Bas’ large-format paintings are marked by an exciting combination of fictional landscapes, and abstract, religious or mythological elements. Hernan Bas will be present with the large-format painting On the scent trail (pink) (2012, 84 x 72 in.). Diverse techniques such as woodcut, silkscreen, airbrush, acrylic and oil painting are layered on top of each other, resulting in a wondrous world, with the lonesome boy figure at its center.

Further paintings on show by Michael Bauer take the abstract and proliferating elements to another level, with figures appearing and disappearing in between layers of thick oil paint on unprimed canvases (e.g. Untitled, 2012, 71,5 x 60 in.).

Always known for paradox combinations, Cuban artist duo Los Carpinteros brings us a sculpture of an objet trouvé turned gold (Demolition Hammer, 2012, 34 x 16 x 12 in.). While at first glance an allegedly timeless sculpture without reverence to any concrete sociopolitical reality, the demolition hammer with its gold-plated bit is at once aestheticized utensil, political cue and whimsical gesture. Besides the sculpture, Los Carpinteros will be showing a number of large-format works on paper.

L.A.-based painter Raffi Kalenderian has taken a leap in his artistic practice, with an expanded media repertoire and billowing size dimensions. True to his interest in the theme of portraiture, Kalenderian proves once again just how contemporary and multifaceted this art genre is (e.g. Jonas, 2012, 50 x 36 in.).

Jorge Macchi presents his installation Illumination (2012); The star-shaped structure made of cement, although touching the ground at three points, seems almost floating in space. Only the torches at the ends of the beams reveal the true character: The cement star turns out to be the imitation of light rays. Deception, light, lightness and materiality are the elements that are used by the artist with unique sense of humor and imagination.

Previously exhibited at the 7th Berlin Biennale 2012, Teresa Margolles brings PM 2010 to Miami Beach (Installation of 313 images of front covers of the newspaper PM from Ciudad Juarez, 2012, each 14,6 x 12,6 in., framed). PM is the local newspaper from Ciudad Juarez, published 6 days a week. There is no factual or digital archive of the paper which gives it an ephemeral existence. The installation is a record of this moment in history, and a witness to the collapse of the social fabric and resilience of the community of this border city which stands in the cross fire of the Mexican drug wars.

Melanie Smiths shows works that were exhibited in the Mexican Pavilion at the Biennial in Venice in 2011, as well as recent paintings. Unobtrusively, the artist makes her mark with visual observations of ambivalences. The artist regards daily, unusual or historical occurrences with a unique focal point. The small painting Nipple (2010) gives credit to that unabashed attention to detail and shows a blurry, almost abstract picture of a female nipple.

The artistic practice of Mexican artist collective Tercerunquinto is always hands-on. When they were invited to realize a project for the Museo de Arte Alvar y Carmen T. de Carrillo Gil they proposed the removal of institutional signs attached to the exterior building walls. The institutional signs were then reattached to an interior gallery wall. Once it was placed inside the museum, the signs were periodically cleaned and polished during opening hours. The installation is a collection of works on paper by the collective and a video documenting these gestures (Proyecto para Carrillo Gil (Project for Carrillo Gil), 2008, Installation, 6 drawings, pencil, color pen and acrylic on paper and 1 video, various dimensions).

Erika Verzutti is present with representative works from her ongoing series of sculptures based on the organic forms of fruit and vegetables. Created in bronze, and painted over, Brasilea Azulejo combines the artist’s interest in playful experimental combination of said materials and shapes (2012, Bronze, 6,5 x 10 x 10 in.). Here an inlaid geometric plane counterbalances the organic shape of a jackfruit. Verzutti deals with classic questions of sculpture and playfully transforms these notions into strong art works with a Latin-American twist.

For more information please contact Sabine Leuzinger at s.leuzinger@peterkilchmann.com. A limited number of admission tickets can be obtained through the gallery.