gabriel chaile's family of clay ovens invokes communalism in venice

anthropomorphism in clay

Massive clay sculptures by artist Gabriel Chaile occupy the Arsenale at the Venice Art Biennale 2022. The exhibition takes the theme of ‘Milk of Dreams,’ to suggest a surrealist, ever-transforming world. The show explores the contemporary changes undergone by humanity on the whole, especially the uncertainty of our relationship with nature and technology.

The ceramic works by Gabriel Chaile take shape to depict other-worldly creatures, animal figures in a state of metamorphosis. Drawing from a theory that he refers to as ‘the genealogy of form,’ the artist references objects such as pots and clay ovens that often take on anthropomorphic traits.

Jose Pasqual Chaile, 2022 | image © designboom

an homage to family by gabriel chaile

Through his works, currently on view at the 2022 Venice Art Biennale (see more here), artist Gabriel Chaile draws from indigenous themes. He has long explored impoverished communities, rituals, and artistic customs from his home in Argentina, and has taken influence from his Spanish, Afro-Arab, and Indigenous Candelaria heritage.

The collection on view at Arsenale is a group of five sculpture-ovens that portray, in a large format, members of his family. The central figure of the group is titled Rosario Liendro (2022) after his maternal grandmother, and is surrounded by the figures of his parents and paternal grandparents. Chaile notes that some of the figures are brought to life through descriptions of them handed down in oral stories, rather than his direct knowledge.

Irene Duran, 2022 | image © designboom

celebrating communalism at the venice art biennale

On the whole, Gabriel Chaile’s series at the Venice Art Biennale expresses communalism, giving, and care, especially in the context of the family. The use of the vessel as a foundational motif serves to further this invocation, through its inherent associations with nourishment, support, collaboration, and community.

Curators of the exhibition describe the artist’s influences: ‘Chaile often employs materials, forms, and archetypal symbols associated with pre-Columbian cultures, which he synthesizes in ways both poetic and humorous. Chaile creates spaces where historical precedent, Indigenous epistemologies, and prescient craft conventions co-mingle with contemporary life.’

Rosario Liendro, 2022 | image © designboom