Opening October 13th
Open to the public from October 14th
Monday to Friday from 10 am to 7.30 pm and Saturdays from 10am to 5.30 pm
I grew up in a seaside that invades gardens, rooftops and deserted beaches, they were my childhood’s battlefield. Sneaking into my father's workshop to make swords and pistols was vital, since my mother was against weapons even if they were toy guns. I think that is why I have always been captivated by tools, weapons and their history. The idea that people can use a tool as a weapon or vice versa, transform objects and their uses, has influenced my art.
Bullets are this exhibition’s raw material. I use the tip of the ammunition to draw children playing in times of war and peace all over the world. I hammer different bullets to form lead marbles. I carve a sculpture on the tip of a bullet, or use an empty shell as a whistle. For me, these works point to the importance of play and the power of imagination.
In times of explosive conflict, labeling and divisions around the world, I think it is important to review history and to be aware of the risks of making the same mistakes. I agree with Johan Huizinga, who in his book Homo ludens (1938) wrote that when “all trace of the concept of play is extinguished, the culture as a whole withers”; but I trust in the hope of knowing that, regardless of the circumstances, children will always play.
Pedro Tyler
Photo: La última by Pedro Tyler
