2015
bronze
162 x 71 x 157 cm
Xavier Mascaro’s sculptures are a meditation on time, and of how we connect with the past through material culture and the narratives of history and myth. They bring to mind Milan Kundera’s observation that „man is separated from the past… by two forces that go instantly to work and cooperate: the force of forgetting (which erases) and the force of memory (which transforms).”
Material culture is the practice of using artifacts, architecture and technologies of a particular age and place in order to understand cultures and societies, and how they respond to events. It is founded on the belief that the testament of objects – often interpreted through myth as well as empirical observation – illuminates the actions of history.
Mascaro’s choice of iron and bronze, metals that are constantly evolving and visibly aging, harnesses these organic processes to embed his sculptures in this sense of timelessness. He welcomes casting imperfections, as they underline impermanence of even the most enduring of materials.
There is an ambiguity to his series of Warriors, Guardians, Heads, and Boats – are they remnants from past civilisations or witnesses to our own age? By activating this uncertainty, they point to a universality of human experience.
Xavier Mascaró (b. 1965) is a Spanish sculptor, known for his monumental works made in glass, wood, and bronze, and cast iron. Mascaró’s art delves into universal myths and ancient civilizations, featuring recurring motifs like heads, masks, and boats. His installations have been showcased globally, including at the Saatchi Gallery in London and the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. He has held over 50 solo exhibitions in cities such as New York, Paris, and Buenos Aires. Mascaró’s works are part of numerous public and private collections worldwide.
