A El Héroe Absurdo

Man will eventually rediscover the wine of the absurd and the bread of indifference with which he nourishes his greatness. Albert Camus

In his work “The Myth of Sisyphus,” published in 1942, the French philosopher Albert Camus reflects on the ancient Greek myth. Condemned by the gods for his cunning, Sisyphus faces an eternal punishment: rolling a massive rock uphill, only to see it descend ad nauseam, forcing him to start anew. This myth, rooted in the Gallic existentialist discourse, becomes a vehicle for exploring the concept of the absurd. Camus argues that the human condition is inherently absurd, as we crave meaning and purpose in a universe that does not offer them.
Following this line of thought, the contemporary artist Adrián S. Bará (CDMX, 1982) takes up Camus’s approach to highlight the implications surrounding the production and exhibition of art in “El Hombre Absurto, (The Absurd Hero). Bará uses basic construction materials such as drywall, wood, and plaster to create what he calls “poetic arrangements.” These works seek to promote meditation and bring objects closer to the viewer, suggesting an artistic approach that emphasizes a direct relationship with the architecture of Alberto Kalach, who also employs materials like concrete and brick.

Through these installations, participation and sensory experience are invited, creating a dialogue between the viewer and the environment. His use of pastel painting on drywall panels serves as “windows” to another world. This features his interest in the materiality and physical presence of art, challenging traditional precepts that consider artistic expressions as part of the “sublime.”

Like Camus, Bará highlights the fundamental conflict between our human desire to find meaning and purpose and the indifferent silence of reality. His work critiques the trend towards homogenization and the loss of identity today, while inviting us to reflect on our own existence in an absurd world. Through their respective philosophical and artistic approaches, they challenge us to question our perceptions and find meaning in a world that often seems to lack it.

Curator: Alberto Ríos de la Rosa