Monica Arreola
Echoes of Abandonment: Photographs of a Utopia
May 11 - June 21, 2024
curated by Eduardo Lozano
BEST PRACTICE is proud to present Echoes of Abandonment: Photographs of a Utopia, the first solo presentation of the Tijuana-based photographer Mónica Arreola in the United States.
For over a decade, Mónica Arreola (Mexican, b. 1976) has worked around multi-family homes, exploring their social, cultural, political, economic, and aesthetic impacts. Drawing on her background as an architect, Arreola has been documenting the abandoned housing projects on the outskirts of Tijuana since 2013, offering a unique perspective on these neglected spaces.
Arreola’s work delves into modern ruins and abandonment, exploring their profound impacts on the urban landscape. Her artistic vision is rooted in the ‘third landscape’ concept, a term coined by French gardener Gilles Clément. The author states that the third landscape is a neglected area. This concept refers to spaces that emerge from the abandonment of previously exploited land, be it industrial, agricultural, touristic, or urban. In this context, the skeletal remains of abandoned buildings on the outskirts of cities constitute new landscapes, representing territories left to the mercy of economic or political decisions.
Arreola’s photographs evoke a distinct aesthetic. The images, captured during the autumn/winter period to harness the unique light of the season, present a dramatic stillness, as if time has frozen. Her framing echoes the classic landscape characteristics, with a horizon, an inclusive sky, and a human absence. Yet, she also ventures into close frames of specific details, challenging traditional landscape photography and creating close-ups of these abandoned buildings, which stand as poignant reminders of the ruins of capitalism. This show presents the images in groups that dialogue with one another through the details, houses, and territory. The photographs attempt to create a reduced space as the one built and shown in these residential complexes.
The exhibition title emphasizes the word ‘echo’ for its multiple meanings: repetition and repercussion. Repetition can be seen in the tract housing developments and the similarity of multi-family home construction methods in both countries. Images are repeated, building resonance in the collective imaginary, in this case the desertion of real estate projects. Repercussion is visible in the abandonment of these places - a result of financial crisis in the United States, brought on by decisions made by the real estate industry and the U.S. government - leaving a scar on, and affecting the inhabitants of the city.
Echoes of Abandonment: Photographs of a Utopia not only marks Mónica Arreola’s first solo exhibition in the United States, but serves as a poignant reflection on a global issue of aborted housing projects and their impact on society.
This exhibition is curated by Eduardo Lozano.
Mónica Arreola is an interdisciplinary artist based in Tijuana, Mexico. She is part of the National System of Art Creators (2022-2025).
Arreola’s work has been presented in the Border Biennial 2024, the 2022 Whitney Biennial, Quiet as It's Kept, and was selected for PHotoESPAÑA Discoveries. She has received many accolades and grants, including first place in the “VI Biennial of Photography of the State of Baja California” (2008) and the “IX Biennial of Photography of the State of Baja California” (2014); second place in the "IV International Biennial of Banners" (2006); and first place in the contest "Billboard of the Mexico Border Bridge" for InSITE (2002). Her works are in the permanent collections of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Richard and Carole Cocks Art Museum (at Miami University), Centro Cultural Tijuana (CECUT), Secretaría de Cultura de Baja California, Colección Elías + Fontes, and Fundación Colección Kunsthaus AC, among others. Her work has been exhibited in Mexico, the United States, and Spain.
Mónica Arreola received her B.A. in Architecture, MFA in Modern and Contemporary Art, and a certification in curatorship. She is currently the co-director of the independent space 206 Arte Contemporáneo in Tijuana, Mexico.
www.monicaarreola.com
@monica_arreola__
Eduardo Lozano is an independent curator and researcher. He received the 2024 Fundación Jumex Grant in the research category. He was a recipient of the Baja California Artistic Creation and Development Stimulus Program (2018-2019) in the research category on art in Baja California. Among his most recent publications are “Valra. Cósmica y mecánica de la pintura,” published by Secretaría de Cultura de Baja California (2021), and “Ellos y Nosotros/Them & Us by Marcos Ramírez ERRE, published by El Colegio de la Frontera Norte (2021). Select exhibition highlights include After the Horizon Everything Is Blue by Jessica Sanchez (2023), Inhabit Oblivion by Mónica Arreola (2022), I Have Been Trying for Years to Remember Something that I Cannot Forget by Guadalupe Vidal (2022), and Threshold. Photography is part of the artistic heritage of Baja California.
Eduardo was co-founder and director of Periférica, an organization dedicated to creating, socializing, and preserving content related to Baja California's visual arts. He works in the San Diego-Tijuana transborder region.
www.eduardolozano.com
@ed.lozano
