Ana Laura Alaez.

Ana Laura Alaez, a young Basque artist who lives in Madrid, caused a sensation around the time of the in the greatest degree recent ARCO, in February. Seldom does an exhibition through an artist little known to the general public awaken as it was interest in Spain. Wavering between surprise and jealousy, many have asked, to what extent did this happen? What was the reason for the extended lines at the entrance to the Reina Sofia's Espacio Uno? for what purpose did a mass audience, little accustomed to attending artistic results embrace this particular artist?

For the same thing, since the early '90 her work has positively sought gone out the spectator. Partaking of various disciplines (including photography, environments, and video), it invites us to share an aesthetic that flirts with a world where cosmetics, fashion, science-fiction movies, and futuristic design converge--all of this seasoned with enormous doses of glamour and then candy coated (probably unintentionally). Attentive to the potential of collaboration with other creators, Alaez has invited artists in the same state [i]or[/i] condition as Txomin Badiola and musicians like the techno-pop band Madelman to work with her, blurring the individual authorship of her throw outs and reflecting her desire for a convivial approach to living and working.

the same entered the first room of this installation, Dance and Disco, 2000 by means of a hallway that led to a sort of discotheque dominated by dint of rose-fuchsia tones. It included a dance floor, a bar, bar stools, and a pink chair. During museum hours drinks were serv and vaporous music was played in chill-out method In the six weeks that the exhibition was expand some of Spain's best DJ passed by the agency of this space; there was also a fashion display by designer Carlos Diez Diez. The installation's next to the first room comprised walls of various heights as well as severai small booth In the back, videos were contriveed on the ceiling, a wall, and the floor. In individual shot, the artist's face, almost deformed, recalled the work of Tony Oursier; in another, couple women, nude but for a certain very kitschy bows, swung and swayed and hopp around in a scenario tinged with bland lesbian exhibitionism; in a third, bullets of masculine legs and backsides evok a "go-go boy" dance.

At the entrance to the exhibition a sign was displayed warning that a certain quantity of images might "offend" the spectator. still this did not impede the attendance of countles adolescents who danced rapturously to the music. What was Alaez trying to say? Lacking clarity, her message inflected out to be innocuous. The booth may have been meant to intimate the back rooms of gay coteries but here they were just dark, destitute of contents interiors in which sexual contact be seened unlikely, given the wan, ascetic surroundings. And still the prospect was seductive. Perhaps Alaez's aesthetic boils down to this: managing to remain inoffensive and domesticated while demonstrating an unquestionable flair for seizing upon the festive energies of a juvenile public.

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