Iván Navarro

signed and titled in English and dated 2010 on the reverse

Galerie Daniel Templon, Paris
Acquired by the present owner from the above

This work is accompanied with a certificate signed by the artist

Let There Be Light, And Peace

COME (Lot 625) issues an electrifying command deep from its red illusory depths, evoking Iván Navarro’s signature aesthetic of captivating fear and seduction. One of the most visible and globally acclaimed Chilean artists in the world today, Navarro was born in the year preceding the historical coup d’état that instated General Augusto Pinochet. Having endured the unforgettable childhood trauma of living under a brutal military dictatorship, Navarro’s politically, emotionally and electrically charged oeuvre powerfully addresses the brutal violence inflicted by the Chilean state. Provocative and confrontational, Navarro’s installations refer directly to crimes perpetrated by the country’s military regime as well as wider global issues closest to his heart: human rights abuses, oppression, capital punishment, trauma and anxiety.

The viewer’s bodily presence plays a central role in the artist’s works, provoking a phenomenological confrontation that is at once sensorial and psychological. The current lot exemplifies two aspects of Navarro’s distinctive style: the use of electricity and the maneuvering of space. Electricity was a key choice of torture preferred by the Chilean government; using electric light as his primary medium, Navarro appropriates the austere language of Minimalism – in particular the fluorescent aesthetic of Dan Flavin – and imbues it with potent political resonance. The reflective mirror placement of the illuminated piece creates an eerie trompe l’oeil effect, such that the viewer stares down into a seemingly unending dark red abyss. The artist once said: “I make spaces in a fictional way to deal with my own psychological anxiety”.¹ 

^[1] Maura Egan, “Shock Tactics”, The New Times Magazine, 4 November 2007


Artist Biography

Iván Navarro (b. 1972, Chile) is globally recognised for his light sculptures comprising neon, fluorescent and electric light. The artist received a BFA from the Pontificia Universidad Católica in Santiago, Chile in 1995 before relocating to New York City in 1997. Only upon his departure did the artist realise the extent of human rights abuses in his country—a subject that forms the core of his practice. In 2009 Navarro represented Chile at the 53rd Venice Biennale; he has also held numerous solo exhibitions at the Jersey City Museum, New Jersey (2005 and 2007); Centro Cultural Matucana 100, Santiago, Chile (2007); Towner Gallery, Eastbourne, United Kingdom (2009); Centro de Arte Caja de Burgos, Burgos, Spain (2010). His work is held in both public and private collections including the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (Washington, D.C.), Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (Richmond, VA), Fonds National d’Art Contemporain (Paris), LVMH Collection (Paris) and Saatchi Collection (London).