Gabriel Orozco, “Untitled,” detail, 1994.
Production still from the series Exclusive. Cinematographer: Rafael Salazar. © Art21, Inc. 2014.
“I don’t feel that Spanish has proper status in the infrastructure of knowledge.” —Gabriel Orozco
Today’s Exclusive provides viewers with an intimate look at Spanish Lessons (2013), a project by Gabriel Orozco that took place at Marian Goodman Gallery in New York. Unsatisfied with the relegation of Spanish to “street talk” in the United States, Orozco used art and literature to teach the language to gallery goers. “It’s very common to hear people quoting Borges, but not many people have really read Borges in Spanish,” he says. “Meaning changes when you translate.” Orozco’s temporary classroom was situated in an unused office below Marian Goodman Gallery, creating an opportunity to exchange ideas and knowledge in a space usually used for the exchange of money and objects.
Exclusive is supported, in part, by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council; 21c Museum Hotel, and by individual contributors.