Junkspace 011 Artwork

Artist statement: The concept of recycling, while not groundbreaking, holds a fascinating position in the evolution of modern art. In an era of overwhelming mass culture and paradoxical material scarcity due to global economic downturns – what Rem Koolhaas termed the "JUNKSPACE" era in 2002 – it gains relevance. This period represents an unprecedented fusion of capitalism and culture, leading to unintended consequences. It's a fact that our globalizing culture consumes and discards as much as it creates, leaving behind a residue on our planet's landscape – Junkspace. Contemporary artists must grapple with and adapt to Junkspace to forge new artistic expressions and establish their presence. My aim is to repurpose this debris, injecting energy, abstraction, and architectural elements into the urban post-modern landscape. I approach the outskirts of Street Art without conforming entirely and collaborate with recycled collage, akin to Mimmo Rotella from the 1950s, but without succumbing to conformity. Our system generates utilitarian, neutral spaces destined for destruction after use or subject to inevitable upgrades, influenced by budgets, crises, or fleeting trends. These lifeless spaces gave rise to a fringe of post-urban artists in the 1980s, the street artists of my generation. However, this initial post-urban language, often associated with social rebellion, ironically veered toward consumerist fascination due to a lack of cohesion or self-identity. Its raw expression instinctively pointed to Junkspace. Koolhaas's concept of Junkspace provides an analytical connection to the natural progression of contemporary art, christening a new form of post-modernism.