A Contemporary Vision Anchored in Ancestral Roots.
Pablo Alanes, a Bolivian visual artist, has steadily built a distinct voice within the realm of Latin American art. With The Flight of the C ondor, he delivers one of his most evocative series to date—one that bridges the strength of ancestral memory with the concerns of modern identity. Presented at the 2023 Embassy Festival in The Hague this exhibition marks a moment of reflection for the artist and his audience alike.
A Sacred Animal Reimagined.
The condor, revered in Andean cosmogony, is more than a bird; it is a symbol of elevation, spiritual connection, and the passage between worlds. Alanes approaches this sacred figure not through realism but through emotional abstraction. His portraits are intense, layered, and unflinching—sometimes solemn, sometimes defiant. Each canvas becomes a meditation on the condor’s significance, placing it within the emotional geography of Latin American identity.
Scratched Surfaces, Exposed Truths.
Alanes’s technique stands out for its visceral quality. He employs scratching, aggressive brushwork, and thick layering to give life to his subjects. The condors, painted in a raw and expressive style, emerge from rough textures that suggest erosion, resistance, and time. Frames are not separate from the image—they are integrated, painted, and weathered, becoming part of the narrative. The artist invites viewers to feel the weight and dignity of these creatures as though they were carved into stone.
Portraits that Defy Stillness.
Each painting in the series presents a close-up portrait of a condor. Their gazes—piercing and unyielding—are central to the composition. There is no background scenery; instead, color fields and gestural lines form an atmosphere that is psychological rather than naturalistic. Alanes focuses on the emotional and symbolic presence of the condor, offering a contemporary Andean iconography that challenges viewers to consider how memory and heritage shape our visual understanding of identity.
Between Flight and Survival.
In The Flight of the Condor, Alanes doesn’t depict flight in a literal sense. The paintings are grounded, weighty, almost sculptural. And yet, they speak of a deeper flight: the struggle of indigenous cultures to maintain visibility, the soaring of collective memory, and the ongoing dialogue between origin and future. For audiences unfamiliar with the Andes, the series is an entry point into a layered worldview; for Bolivians and Latin Americans, it is a reaffirmation of cultural dignity.
An Artist Rooted in Place and Time.
Through The Flight of the Condor, Pablo Alanes invites viewers into a dialogue that transcends geography. His artistic language—intuitive, textural, and fiercely symbolic—reflects both personal inquiry and cultural resistance. In a time when identity is increasingly fragmented, his work urges us to look back, not as nostalgia, but as a form of reclamation. And in doing so, tells us that the condor is already here.
Painting by: Pablo Alanes
Info: PabloAlanes.com
