Avelino Sala

AVELINO SALA (Gijón, 1972).
"Castles made of sand" 2016
Deck of cards plated in 24 kts. gold.
Edition of 3.
With certificate of authenticity, issued by the artist.
Measurements: 100 x 36 x 8 cm.

"Castles of sand" is precisely inscribed in the critical and symbolic line that characterizes the production of Avelino Sala. The 24-karat gold-plated deck of cards turns an everyday object into a fetish of power, luxury and deception, unfolding a visual metaphor that the artist uses to point out the fictitious architectures -political, economic and media- on which many of the contemporary discourses are sustained.

In this piece, Sala articulates a reflection that runs through much of his work: the tension between appearance and reality, between that which dazzles and that which crumbles. As in other interventions of his, the artist uses objects loaded with symbolism to denounce the mechanisms of social manipulation, connecting with his interest in public space and visual culture as a political tool.

The work dialogues with previous and subsequent projects where Sala examines the narratives of power, and consolidates his presence within the international critical art scene, where he has been recognized and made visible through biennials and museums of reference.

Avelino Sala is a contemporary artist who lives and works in Barcelona, whose practice -which includes sculpture, drawing, video and public intervention- focuses on the critical analysis of socio-political reality. He has shown his work in prestigious spaces such as the Abrons Arts Center in New York, the Museo de Bellas Artes de Asturias, the MAAC in Guayaquil, the National Center for Contemporary Art in Moscow (NCCA) and Matadero Madrid, among others. He has participated in international biennials such as Caracas, Tel Aviv, Istanbul, the X Havana Biennial, the Cuenca Biennial (2022), Bienal Sur (Colombia, 2021), Dakar Biennial (2022), Lanzarote Biennial (2023) and has starred in a solo show at the Spanish pavilion of the Malta Biennial (2024). His awards include the Premio Generaciones de CajaMadrid (2003), grants from Cajastur, Hangar and Bilbao Arte, the Artport International Video Award granted by UNESCO and NYFA (2007), the VAD Award (2010) and the prestigious scholarship of the Royal Academy of Spain in Rome (2010), as well as the Centre d'Art Le Lait in Albi (France).
His work, widely disseminated, has established himself as one of the most significant voices of political and social art in the Spanish-speaking world and in Europe.