Sergio Roger shows us through his art his life-long fascination with visual representations of beauty in ancient civilizations, especially the Graeco-Roman era and its modern counterparts.
The artist reinterprets and subverts iconic elements of art history to allow us to break free from preconceived ideas about ancient civilizations.
The medium of subversion is the array of materials he employs: where there is marble, he resorts to natural textile fibres.
Each of Sergio Roger’s works is unique and is created from the finest textiles, which mostly date back to the early 20th century.
The artist himself carefully sources these materials from antique shops. Selected fabrics include antique linen and raw silk, bringing history and soul into his work.
The technical mastery and the complex elaboration of his textile sculptures are reflected in every stitch and detail. His works are born from the deep investigation of ancestral craft techniques, which are approached with a renewed and contemporary vision, and, at the same time, honour the story behind each fibre and its role throughout history.
Antiquity is the main source of inspiration for the artist. Roger questions our perception of the past and describes History as a field that must be revisited with a critical eye. He sees archaeology as a field of study replete with fiction and its own personal mythology, given that it was first extensively codified and practised in the 19th century, right at the peak of colonialism. Thus it imposed a Euro-centric vision on our way of interpreting the past.
Through his opus, Roger invites us to deconstruct our preconceived vision of the past and to reflect on the permanence and idealism associated with traditional art.
Exocolumn Celurian, 2022 Sergio Roger
Materials: DUPIONI SILK, ALUMINUM, SILK AND WOOD
Apollo Head, 2022 Sergio Roger
Materials: QUILTED ANTIQUE LINEN, IRON PLINTH
Textile Sculpture made in eco-dyed antique linen. This work belongs to the series “Textile Ruins” inspired by the Greco-roman tradition. Through his opus, Roger invites us to deconstruct our preconceived vision of the past and to reflect on the permanence and idealism associated with traditional art.
BIO
Since graduating from Berlin’s Art Academy (UdK) where he studied Sculpture and New Media Art with Professor Hito Steyerl, he has received several important awards including the Generation 09-Caja Madrid. His work has been exhibited in renowned international galleries such as Galleria Rossana Orlandi, and Robilant + Voena in Milan and will soon be showcased at The Future Perfect Gallery in New York.
In December 2021 Roger collaborated with the legendary auction house Christie’s and exhibited his work in its main gallery on King’s Street in London.
He has participated in prestigious fairs such as Miart and Design Miami/Basel
His work is included in several private and public collections such as the Colección Norte de Arte Contemporáneo, and Fundación Caja Madrid.
Currently, Sergio Roger lives and works in Barcelona.
Images courtesy of Sergio Roger
