Spanish artist Marina Capdevila is proud to present Falta Gel, a new solo exhibition exploring life through the lens of old age. Confronting the stigma of a lonely later life, Marina hosts a celebration of our later years in the forum of her favourite Spanish tradition; lunch. In Mediterranean culture, la comida is a time for family, social connection and relaxation. It is here, in relatable moments of frivolous abandon; we meet her iconic empowered grandmothers.
"When I first came to Barcelona I was shocked to see how lonely old people were," Capdevila said. "In the small town where I grew up, everyone was old but they were healthy and energetic, living their best lives."
While we are invited to join the lunch, our attention is focused solely on the guests; the women. Among garden chairs in no discernible space, older ladies revel in bacchanalian nakedness, while others offer sultry poses in front of hanging door beads. Kicking back in their nikes, drinking wine and smoking cigars, they rebel defy the identity of a quiet and forgotten elderly. Youthful, material details trigger our pre-conceptions toward gender and age-related biases throughout and these intentions deepen with Marina’s use of colour. The dismal hues of later life warm to a soft, vibrant palette a sea of brisk yellow, orange and red strokes to enhance the energy of the moment.. The only prevailing grey, is the hair of her protagonists, lest we forgot their advanced age.
While jubilant in her perspective and tone, Marina’s vision emerges from a darker existential dread. Beyond the stigma of old age, we exist in a precarious ecosystem of social instability and environmental degradation. A reality which threatens the arrival of our own twilight years. Confronting her own fears of ageing, sickness and death, Marina's practice has become a therapeutic way to process these topics positively, while inviting others to do the same.
Through 12 new original works and a custom made piñata installation, Falta Gel encourages reflection and discussion for our shared human experience. Outside of our own preconceptions on age and beauty, we recognise the quirks of her characters in our sisters, aunty’s, mothers and grandmothers. They are authentic heroines of the mundane and in time; they will be us .... Should we be so lucky. —Charlotte Pyatt
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