The Jinx and the Revolution (The Jinxed Revolution)
My curiosity was piqued by the mysterious journey through Paris by a car with a strange artefact on its roof, emitting and spreading subsonic vibrations and waves like a virus as it made its way through the city in March or April 1968. the journey, witnessed by just a small proportion of the populace, the Gaston Lagaffes of the city and the country, took place a month or two before the May 1968 Revolution. If, as some say, the Russian Revolution of 1917 was originally nothing more than a happening organised by Lenin, then perhaps the origin of the Paris revolution of 1968 was the bad vibes of a jinx.
Dani Montlleó (Mataró, 1966) lives and works in Mataró.
His work focuses on the concept of identity through references and dialogues that extend, for example, towards the world of architecture, music, fashion, industry and the universe of the object and fetishism. As his working material, he often takes real people and moments as the basis for creating the piece.
He interlinks fiction and reality with ideas such as utopia, comfort, the iteration, B series and the constant dialectic between standardisation and uniqueness.
His exhibitions include: Muzak (Can Palauet, Mataró, 2004), The versionist (the small room at La Capella, Barcelona, 2005), Trastocaments (Centre de Lectura, Reus, 1997), Pitbull (Can Felipa Arts Visuals, Barcelona, 1998), Brian’s Brain (Stand by) (Laboratorio de Arte Alameda, Mexico City, 2003), Rodalies (Imatra Art Museum, Finland, 2004), Samuraï (Le secret). Jaune Creation (Grand Palais, Paris, 2003), Plagiarismo (La Casa Encendida, Madrid, 2005; Caja Madrid, Barcelona, 2006), Merchandpromo-Yves (Arts Santa Mònica, Barcelona, 2007), The Gray a Gray nº 2 (EspaiZero1, Olot, 2010), From Page to Space (Weserburg, Bremen; Serralves Foundation, Oporto, 2011; Leopold-Hoesch-Museum, Düren; Gallery Murska Sobota, Slovenia, 2012), The Stuarts (video and vinyl, 2009-2011), Doppelgänger Goldfinger (exhibition, artist’s book and video, 2011-2012), Al portal de casa i els constructors (project by Jordi Canudas, collaboration, 2012), Otto-Block (the Camisa Townsend, multiple produced by Artscoming, Barcelona, 2012), Fresh! (Loop) (The Private Space, Barcelona, 2012), Pepeta Tolrà “dibujo fuerza fluídica” (research team, Can Palauet, Mataró, 2013), Modernitat amagada (Casa Capell, Mataró, 2013), CAPS.A. 13 (Mataró, 2013), Futurs abandonats (Fabra i Coats, Barcelona, 2014), El desig de creure (M/A/C, Mataró, 2015), Valls Biennial (2015), TITO, The Phantom Monk (piece in documentary format, released on DVD, 2015, with presentations in 2016 at the MACBA, the Filmoteca de Catalunya, the Arts Santa Mònica and the Amposta Art School and in May 2017 at the French Institute in Barcelona), Amposta Biennial (2016), and Body & Games (Lleida School of Art, 2017). Modernitat amagada 2 (together with the artist Domènec, Pavelló Sert d’Arenys de Mar, 2017), Modernitat amagada 2 (Pavelló Sert de Arenys de Mar, 2017), Caminar sobre el gel (Can Palauet, Mataró, 2017), Raw Material (Fabra i Coats, Barcelona, 2017), The Little Match Girl (Hans&Fritz Contemporary, Barcelona, 2017).
He is a founding member of the ACM (association for contemporary art and culture) and ran the LACOSA art space and showcase between 2000 and 2009. Together with Quim Tarrida, he created Subcutanspoon (Toy Operators, 2004-2005), and in conjunction with Susana Rodríguez, he set up AKA Perruquers. In addition, he is a founding member of the AJT (Josefa Tolrà Cultural Association, 2016).
