CONEXIÓN by LiLeón
Curated by Roberta Semeraro St. Mary Le Strand
October 15–December 11, 2022
Frieze Preview Days: 10th-14th October
Opening Event: Saturday, October 15, 2022, at 5 p.m.
CONEXIÓN at St. Mary Le Strand is a concrete example of dialogue between the Anglican Church, the Dominican Republic, and the art of Lidia León to encourage coexistence of the individuals by integrating the language of art into architecture and the natural material into the sacred geometry of the space.
With this installation made of tobacco leaves, Lidia León Cabral has transformed St. Mary Le Strand – a beautiful example of the Baroque architecture in London- into a sort of agora where diverse cultures can meet and live together. The tobacco plants, which situate the work in a Caribbean landscape and are a crucial part of the socioeconomic development of the Dominican Republic, are a recurring theme in LiLeón’s imagery: she was born and raised in a prominent family of tobacco farmers. In the hands of the artist-architect, these large leaves become a raw material to be used in construction, keeping the essential link to Mother Nature open. In 2021, CONEXIÓN represented the Dominican Republic Pavilion at the 17 International Architecture Biennale Exhibition in Venice. The installation answers the focus question “How will we live together?” elaborated by the curator of that year’s Biennale Hashmin Sarkis. The artwork was done by the artist site-specific for St. George’s Anglican Church of Venice. The collage of tobacco leaves on the panels was inspired by the church’s ancient stained-glass windows. It has been very successful!
On May 20th, 2021, the UK newspaper Architect’s Journal chose CONEXIÓN as one of the “Best of the rest” of the Biennale.
As part of the inauguration, the last monograph book “Te Veo, Me Veo exhibition and artwork of Lidia León” will be presented by the curator, the art critic Roberta Semeraro in the presence of the artist; the Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to the UK, H.E. Elnio Durán; the Minister Counsellor of Cultural Affairs, Ligia Reid; and the Revd. Canon Dr. Peter Babington of St Mary Le Strand.
Organizer:
Dominican Republic Embassy, LiLeón Foundation and Anglican Church St. Mary Le Strand.
Address St Mary le Strand: Strand, London WC2R 1ES, UK.
Open to visitors: Monday to Thursday 12 noon to 4.00 p.m., Fridays 11.00 a.m. to 2.30 p.m.
Info: + 44 7548370541 / elena@elenadavidson.com