In the Language of Fans

Artist Raquel Sakristán and producer Rafael Agudo, Startti group home, December 2017: Studies on the language of fans and material experimentation

If a common language does not exist, one can be created through art! The visit by the Spanish artist Raquel Sakristán and producer Rafael Agudo to the Startti group home began with a search for a common language by using Spanish fans. Raquel demonstrated the Spanish language of fans and the residents of Startti were provided the opportunity to create their own expressions, while Raquel learned some Finnish. The work continued with painting and material experimentation, leading to the creation of works resembling dream catchers. Raquel took the works out into the nature to be photographed. Seeing the works in another environment stimulated the work even further. The pictures and videos were compiled to create a small exhibition. During the residence period, Raquel observed the individual style and strengths of each participant to consider possibilities for developing their personal expression.

Photos: Taija Sailio, Martu Väisänen, Raquel Sakristán

Artists

Rafael Agudo
Producer Rafael Agudo has worked for three years in the HUG organisation that brings Finnish artists to organise communal activities in the suburbs of Madrid. He holds a master’s degree in cultural management as well as experience of working in the publishing industry and is currently employed by the department of public activities at Casa del Lector in Madrid. In the municipality of Ii, Agudo became acquainted with Finnish production methods and shared his experiences of the operation of HUG and assisted Raquel Sakrístan.
Raquel Sakrístan
Raquel Sakrístan is a multidisciplinary artist, who endeavours in her projects to eliminate the borders between aesthetic codes, techniques and artistic languages. At the Complutense University of Madrid, she became interested in studying creative processes. With her projects, she has participated in individual and group exhibitions in Ghana, Beijing and Rio de Janeiro. When she moved to New York in 2006, Sakrístan transferred to working with public spaces and widely varying social contexts. In her work, she introduces temporary objects and ambiguous texts to spaces and landscapes to create different perspectives. Her projects carried out with elderly people in distant villages, African youths, psychiatric patients and other groups considered to exist outside of the arts have provided
opportunities to focus on listening. Since 2014, Sakrístan has primarily worked with artists belonging to special groups, bringing forward ideas that might not have been otherwise conveyable.

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