Artist Gabriel Orozco's Distorts the Standard Elevator
Modified elevator cabin; 8' x 8' x 60" (243.8 x 243.8 x 152.4 cm);
The Dakis Joannou Collection
Movement, travel and the circulation of people and goods are constant themes in Gabriel Orozco’s work. Elevator is a modified elevator cab and modern art installation that distorts the perception of space. Cut horizontally, it’s shorter than a standard elevator cab. When you walk inside, which originally the idea is that a person can walk inside the elevator, you feel the distortion, you realize that the subject is transformed. You remember spaces, your body remembers spaces. So in the case of the elevator, when you move some things, or distort its scale, you become aware of it again.
Gabriel’s work reflects on the vastly increased volume and speed of travel particularly in the last few decades that he has been working. Of course he has also travelled extensively in his life and continues to live in multiple locations using his time in different places to produce new bodies of work that relate to the particularities of the place.
I think that the idea of awareness is very important, how you, open up a situation of awareness for somebody.
Modified elevator cabin; 8' x 8' x 60" (243.8 x 243.8 x 152.4 cm);
The Dakis Joannou Collection
Statement by the Artist:
Elevator is a modified elevator cabin. I cut it horizontally, so, now it’s shorter, so now it has my height inside. When you walk inside, (which originally the idea is that you can walk inside the elevator, but anyway, you can imagine you know, when you are in an elevator, going up or down, you can feel it in the stomach sometimes. The body has some memory. You remember spaces. So in the case of the elevator, when you move some things and you distort it a little bit, you realize that the subject is transformed and then you are aware again.
I think that the idea of awareness is very important, how you, open up a situation of awareness for somebody. Because that’s a moment of happiness when you are aware about something and happiness in a very complex way.
