Her unique contemporary approach to art tells us about the fragile artistic ecosystem.
In a world affected by a deep crisis that touches all levels—social, political, and even health—what is happening to the art world? Artist Belén Mazuecos explains that the art world today presents an unprecedented complexity, due to the increase in the number of artists, the specialization and diversification of intermediaries, and the influence of globalization and new information technologies, among others. One of the biggest problems is the lack of transparency and information, which prevents artists from having clear strategies to develop to pursue this profession. The extreme precariousness experienced by the art world means that many artists must combine artistic creation with other types of paid work in order to continue investing in their productions and achieve a sustainable livelihood.
We had the opportunity to meet Belén Mazuecos by chance in Venice during the Laguna Prize exhibition. Without knowing the winner, we had chosen a special painting by the artist to exhibit in our stores. Later we learned that it was exactly the painting that was chosen in the contemporary art contest. What sets Belén apart from other artists is her contemporary approach to art, where through her works she addresses different themes that happen in her world.
The artist's artworks aim to create a visual ethnography of the art world through self-referential drawings and paintings that record and question the multi-layered reality of the artistic field and its various problems. Her art addresses current cultural issues about the precariousness of the art world and the difficulty for the artist to gain access to and establish themselves in an extremely complex and competitive system and market. Her ongoing project Notes for an Ethnography of the Art World is a metaphor for what is happening in the artistic industry and refers to the great difficulties in gaining access to an opaque system. For this reason, she uses artistic practice as a platform for questioning, examining the dynamics of the contemporary art world from the artist's reflexivity and perspective.
Born and raised in Granada, Spain, Belén's journey began at a young age, exploring different forms of artistic expression through writing, drawing and painting during her youth. Despite her talent, she had never considered pursuing art professionally. There was no artistic background in her family, and she observed too many prejudices against the career of an artist due to the precarious nature of the profession. However, Belén's world changed at age 16 in school, when she enrolled in an elective course in artistic drawing. During this time, her teacher recognized her talent and abilities and made her consider for the first time the possibility of studying art and pursuing a career in fine arts.
There were moments of crisis during this time, but nothing ever made me throw in the towel. Art is a long-distance race that requires dedication and commitment and demands a great spirit of sacrifice.
Her artwork has been exhibited in various galleries, including the prestigious Arsenale in Venice. In her projects, she tries to find a vehicle that best suits her expressive purpose. The materials she uses are charcoal on paper and acrylic on paper or canvas; the use of black allows her to paint and draw with the immediacy and imprint of the writer. Her artistic goal is to satisfy her own hedonistic needs, and manipulating materials gives her pleasure. "When you work with your whole body to tackle large formats, you enter a kind of trance or catharsis state that makes you feel very good," says Belén.
Art is a form of communication, and with my pieces I want to make the art world think and generate questions and answers in the viewer.
Observing art produced by her contemporaries is another great source of inspiration for her art projects: "That's why I love traveling and attending contemporary art exhibitions, fairs and events like the Venice Biennale. My students are also a source of inspiration because they infect me with their enthusiasm, as do my parents for their perseverance. They instilled in me a sense of responsibility, perseverance and discipline." Throughout her career, Marlene Dumas, Tacita Dean and Santiago Ydáñez have been her biggest influences. "With them, I think that in my work, painting and drawing acquire a haptic dimension and the creative process fulfills an almost cathartic function because the artists work with the whole body to approach their large-scale pieces," said Belén. Other influential artists in her life include Maurizio Cattelan and Damien Hirst.
In addition to these well-known artists, another artist who is a source of inspiration is her husband Pedro Cuadra. Also a painter, Belén and Pedro share their studio space in Granada.
I like chatting with Pedro and watching from above and from a distance the piece I am working on in my studio. In my daily routine in the studio, I turn on the radio to cheer myself up and start creating.
Art has an interesting similarity with fashion; both can find pieces that complement us. Belén explained that the artist must be honest with himself and try to create a coherent personal artistic project with which he identifies, but on the other hand, collectors or users of contemporary art generally find affinities with certain artists who embody their own philosophy of life and with whom they can also identify, bringing them great spiritual benefits.
Her hopes are to see an immediate future without a pandemic, where we can reconnect and travel without worries, and of course her main wish now is a world at peace. She added: "I see some of my dreams coming true, for example, gaining greater recognition in the art world and having new exciting projects internationally, and this illusion has a lot to do with having met Manuel Rivera and D!FFERENT along the way," says Belén.
I identify a lot with the casual clothing style and philosophy of the brand. I believe that the personal and close treatment and the consideration of their customers as unique and special personalities to whom they try to offer the style that best suits them, undoubtedly makes them a reference brand.
Everyone now has the opportunity to see the artist's works of art by visiting the new D!FFERENT men's store in Westerland on the island of Sylt.
As Belén said, the ideal lover for this collection is a person who loves art and cares about the sustainability of the art world and artists. It is made for an audience that not only finds beauty in the iconography she represents in her pieces, but also empathizes with the message.