2.9.–27.9. 2009 Galleria Harmonia

Fernando Garcia

”6 months and 34 years”, (6 meses y 34 años)

”6 months and 34 years” is an exhibition title that alludes to Spanish artist, Fernando García’s (1975) Pépinières residency period at the Jyväskylä Centre for Printmaking which ends with his birthday in September. “I am really bad at remembering names and dates, and so I wanted the name of this exhibition to say something concrete about my stay in Jyväskylä.” In the work prepared for this exhibition, García studies meaning and structure of the exotic Finnish language, along with ironic phrases found in his Finnish-Spanish dictionary. The exhibition also shows García’s interest in the small mistakes apparent in printmaking which give the work a personal touch.

Native from Madrid, Fernando García does not want to be categorized and just calls himself an artist in general terms, freeing himself from segregating painting, sculpture, printmaking and photography. He studied fine arts at the Complutens University in Madrid and continued there as a professor’s assistant after graduation. During his studies, García focused on the theme of New York, studying everything possible about this city without actually physically going there. The project included names of people and streets, which sparked his interest in the written language. After completing the New York project García’s mind filled with ideas, all of which he was not able to visually realize. Consequently, words and phrases have become part of his work.

After graduation, García received a six-month residency in Mexico, where he was confronted with a Spanish different than his mother language. The work made in Mexico is related to words and phrases in Mexican Spanish that he had not understood upon arrival. At a residency in Germany, just before coming to Finland, García compiled various German words into the lyrics of a song and rather than paying too much attention to the meaning of the words, he focused on the visual aesthetic.

In Finland García has been inspired by the appearance and exoticism of the Finnish language. The theme, which began in Germany has continued in Finland, but instead of songs García has written poems assembled from select words cut out of magazines. The substance of the poems is not as significant as the construction and visual composition of words. In addition to the poems he has studied vowels and sentences using different techniques. The Finnish-Spanish dictionary has been an important tool. “There are phrases that are perhaps known to natives of the Finnish language, or that one might use during a trip to Spain, but which are so absurd that I have never and would never use them. I am interested in phrases that catch my attention and seem comical”, García describes his selection of phrases.

Fernando García came to Finland through the French Pépinières Pour Jeunes Artistes residency programme. The organization offers residencies across Europe and Canada (Quebec). ”I have travelled a lot around Europe, I have even been to Norway and Sweden, but I don’t know Finland at all”, García tells, and continues: ”Alvar Aalto’s relation to the city of Jyväskylä and the possibility of showing my work here were what motivated me to choose this place.” The Pépinières residency includes: a six-month work period at the Jyväskylä Center for Printmaking, an exhibition, an apartment and financial support for the cost of living during the residency.

García has enjoyed Finland immensely. In cuisine he has tasted everything from salmon soup to reindeer liver. In his free time he plays soccer weekly with a group of Finns. The assumption that Finland is a shy nation has not held true; García has observed that Finns are extremely friendly, humorous and fun loving. García enjoys riding his bike around the city, which is pleasantly easy, compared to riding in the traffic of Madrid. He also luxuriates in being able to ride out of the city within 10 minutes.

The artwork for the exhibition ”6 months and 34 years” crystallizes the artist’s experience in Jyväskylä, in García’s words: “I am not the kind of artist who has only one set way in which he must make his art, even if it is in Nigeria, Spain or Lapland; I am always influenced by my environment. Travel enriches my art and the work that comes out of the experience combines different themes which are then given direction and modified.”

Johanna Karlstedt, Translation Anna Ruth