Meuser. New production at MARCO, Mexico

In Meuser. New production Monterrey connects with the German Ruhr region through the work inspired by the industrial history of both places. For this exhibition presented in MARCO's Patio de las Esculturas, the German artist has created 8 new works produced in steel, a material that connects both with his previous work and with the contexts of the cities. In the case of Monterrey, steel represents the economic and business development of the City. On the other hand, much of Germany's iron and steel is produced in the Ruhr mining basin, made up of 53 cities, one of which is Essen, where Meuser was born. Blast furnaces make up the landscape of both regions.

 

It is then that the artist returns to steel as a reference to the industrial past, while the titles allude to the sense of humor of the workers. That has become a constant in his production: ironic, playful titles linked to the German worker worldview, close to the Mexican gamble. As an example are two works in the exhibition: Das Glück kommt durch die Hintertür, which can be translated as Happiness enters through the back door, or Immer aufwärts geht nicht - der Wein ist im Keller (You can't always go up, the wine is in the basement).

 

There are easily identifiable industrial elements that are important in Meuser's production, such as I-beams, 42-gallon capacity drums, tube sections of conventional diameters, among others. Likewise, the artist uses oil paint with a palette that recreates industrial coatings and achieves the rust effect that evokes post-industrialization.

 

Meuser's work is located between sculpture, painting and installation. His works are considered a revaluation of the waste material of industrialization. His main materials are steel plates and profiles, which he bends, twists and shapes in gestures that refer to collage and the found object. Despite the fact that the materials are distinguished by their rigidity, the artist emphasizes their flexibility and softness through his works.