El Futuro Siempre Será Brillante
A solo exhibition by Azul Ehrenberg
Where the wild flowers grow, (2024) 21 cm x 29,7 cm, mixed printing techniques on cotton and pine paper.
On Friday November 15th the solo exhibition ‘El Futuro Siempre Será Brillante’ by artist Azul Ehrenberg opens in Gallery van Fanny Freytag.
In the exhibition ‘El Futuro Siempre Será Brillante', multidisciplinary artist Azul Ehrenberg uses the lottery ticket as a symbol of hope and illusion. She explores the ambiguity of the lottery, representing both financial inequality and the attempt to escape it.
Having spent a year working in Mexico, she will show her photographic work, printed on Mexican lottery calendars. Her fascination with paper, in this case the texture and composition of the lottery sheets, is also evident in other work displayed at Fanny Freytag; a series of her handmade paper mixed with personal images. In addition to the photographic works, Ehrenberg presents the installation Portable Paradise. This is a collection of over 100 found objects, each representing a personal or emotional “paradise.”. She also made sculptural pieces for the exhibition, including her take on the classic Mexican piñata. Together, the works create a playful yet confrontational whole. They remind us of our vices and desires, of our differences and similarities, in a time when success seems to dictate the pace for finding fulfillment.
El Futuro Siempre Será Brillante (2024), 57,8 cm x 98,2 cm, mixed printing techniques on waxed paper
Azul Ehrenberg (1997) is an interdisciplinary artist working between Mexico and the Netherlands. She graduated from the Rietveld Academy in 2022 and has exhibited her work at places including Gallery Vriend van Bavink, Gallery van Fanny Freytag, Art Island, and various venues in Mexico. This year, she will present her work at Unfair, which takes place from November 21 to 24 at the Gashouder in Amsterdam.
In her work, she often combines handmade paper, visual poetry, and moving images, with a focus on archives and self-created imagery. She explores how narratives from the past and present influence our perception by intervening in existing materials and creating new contexts. Her experimental approach addresses themes such as heritage, memory, and the emotional resonance these evoke. Materiality plays a crucial role in her work; for instance, she makes paper from locally sourced plants, deepening her connection to her heritage. Her work invites reflection on solitude and the contrasts between modernity and tradition, drawing inspiration from both Mexico and the Netherlands. She blurs the line between reality and imagination, evoking a universal atmosphere that engages the senses. Her work is both personal and a reflection of broader cultural themes.