Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea
José Alejandro Restrepo, Paso del Quindio II, 1997
In 2007 Displaced, Contemporary Art from Colombia, was
curated and presented at Glynn Vivian Art Gallery. Alongside other
outstanding works, José Alejandro Restrepo’s Paso del Quindio II
was pivotal, both for the power of its post-colonial position and its
engagement with the politics of cultural identity. Including this work in the collection enables a long-lasting record of the synergy which the exhibitions programme has established in relation to local and global issues. This video work uses archive footage which documents the
last surviving carguero (human carrier) who, like many generations
before him, carries passengers on his back through difficult terrain.
Restrepo’s work considers the complex power relations this act of
carrying signifies.
Harris Museum, Preston
Robert Cahen, Traverses, 2002 (France)
Traverses was first shown at the Harris Museum and Art Gallery
as part of the exhibition in 2007, Digital Aesthetic 2. In 2009 Cahen
installed Passages, a one-person show at the Harris Museum. It was
at this time that the Contemporary Art Society was able to confirm
the purchase of Traverses and another work, Paysages d’hiver. These
two works, in combination, give the museum a significant body
of this artist’s work and assists them in their strategy to develop a
collection of works from pioneering artists who work with digital and
experimental media. For the Harris Museum the relationship between
their temporary exhibition programme and their collection is a priority.