Pia Camil: Bara, Bara, Bara

Through a wide variety of media ranging from installation to performance and ceramics, Pia Camil explores themes of art history, consumerism and the Mexican urban landscape. Investigating urban ruin through interpretations of abandoned billboards, dollar stores, and iconic works of art, Camil addresses the aesthetic language of modernism and its relationship to retail and advertising.

The exhibition Bara, Bara, Bara draws its name from the rhythmic cry of street vendors in Mexico City. Short for the Spanish word barato, which means cheap, the exclamation is aimed to draw people’s attention to a wide variety of low-cost goods available for sale. Furthering the exhibition’s connection to consumer culture, Camil is inspired by the aesthetic of outdoor markets and discount retailers. Slat paneling, market awnings, and jewelry displays all function as inspiration.

Bara, Bara, Bara brings attention to shared experiences with commerce and the mechanisms of globalization. The works together present the breadth of Camil’s practice over the past five years. Camil lives and works in Mexico City, where she was born. She has exhibited at the Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati; the New Museum, New York; Frieze Projects, New York; Museum of Contemporary Art, Detroit; Museum Ludwig, Cologne; and NuMu, Guatemala City.

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