Wednesday 23 April 2014

Francis Ayls


Francis Ayls is a Belgian artist living in Mexico city. He formally trained as an architect before becoming an artist.

His work deals with anthropological and political concerns, often around the city.
The work usually manifests as an act, a ‘street walk’, intervention or performance of some kind. There are often drawings, photography, sculptures to support the works. 




His actions have involved travelling the longest possible route between locations in Mexico and the United States to highlight the increasing obstacles imposed along the border,asking 500 volunteers using shovels, to ‘move’ a sand dune 10 centimeters from its original position. These actions often seem ‘absurd’ or ‘whimsical’ but in their open ended approach, raise important questions. 



Barrenderos (sweepers) 2004
A line of street sweepers pushing garbage through the streets of Mexico City until they are stopped by the mass of trash.






The Green Line 
(Sometimes doing something poetic can become political and sometimes doing something political can become poetic)’,

Jerusalem 2004
A walk through the municipality of Jerusalem with a leaking can of paint, effective drawing a visible line. A Documentary follows the encounters and reactions to this act.



The Modern Procession
New York 2002
A procession organised to move the artworks of MOMA during it's relocation.








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