Runo Lagomarsino
Elementary, 2024
HD video, color, sound, 29:20 min.
Edition of 3 + 1 AP
RLA24006
Further images
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 1
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 2
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 3
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 4
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 5
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 6
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 7
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 8
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 9
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 10
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 11
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 12
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 13
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 14
)
At the core of the film 'Elementary', we find Picasso’s famous painting 'Guernica', which he painted in 1937 in Paris during the Spanish Civil War, after the German Luftwaffe had...
At the core of the film "Elementary", we find Picasso’s famous painting "Guernica", which he painted in 1937 in Paris during the Spanish Civil War, after the German Luftwaffe had bombed the Basque town Guernica. The painting was first exhibited in the Spanish Republic’s pavilion at the World Fair in Paris, which opened just a month after the bombings took place.
In 1992, a replica of the original pavilion was built in Barcelona. The CRAI Biblioteca Pavelló de la República, which houses a comprehensive archive on the Spanish Civil War, includes a reproduction of Guernica displayed in the inner courtyard – mirroring its original placement in Paris.
In "Elementary", the artist performs a simple, repetitive act: sweeping and mopping the floor beneath the reproduction of Guernica. This everyday gesture of care and maintenance takes on symbolic weight. The rhythm of cleaning gestures toward the deep scars left by history. If "Guernica" indicts the horrors of war, the act of cleaning serves as a quiet but poignant reminder that the past cannot be wiped away. The image remains, haunting us – as it should.
In 1992, a replica of the original pavilion was built in Barcelona. The CRAI Biblioteca Pavelló de la República, which houses a comprehensive archive on the Spanish Civil War, includes a reproduction of Guernica displayed in the inner courtyard – mirroring its original placement in Paris.
In "Elementary", the artist performs a simple, repetitive act: sweeping and mopping the floor beneath the reproduction of Guernica. This everyday gesture of care and maintenance takes on symbolic weight. The rhythm of cleaning gestures toward the deep scars left by history. If "Guernica" indicts the horrors of war, the act of cleaning serves as a quiet but poignant reminder that the past cannot be wiped away. The image remains, haunting us – as it should.
Exhibitions
2024: Silence Answers All, Marabouparken Konsthall, Sundbyberg, SEJoin our mailing list
* denotes required fields
We will process the personal data you have supplied to communicate with you in accordance with our Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe or change your preferences at any time by clicking the link in our emails.