Azahara Cerezo

on Antonio Gomez Fernandez and skating in The Netherlands

Residency

01/09/2014 –

– 31/10

31/10/2014

The selection of artist Azahara Cerezo to participate in the residency of 1646 in September and October was a collaboration between 1646 and Bòlit, center for contemporary art in Girona (ES). Cerezo used this residency period to conduct research on Antonio Gomez Fernandez, a former Spanish long-distance skater who participated in a number of major speed skating championships (in the Netherlands, among others) in the 1970s, without any support from the Spanish sports organizations. He became very famous in the Netherlands at the time, but remained unknown in his own country. Gomez Fernandez’ story formed the starting point for Cerezo to approach the role of skating as a cultural phenomenon in the Netherlands. She looked at the economic and organizational elements within the sport, where the skaters are almost as popular as famous football players. During her stay, Cerezo interviewed various people from the skating world and made a video work based on these conversations. Cerezo presented her work at an excursion, organised for a limited number of participants during the residency.

The project Cerezo developed during her stay in 1646 was shown in Bòlit in the course of 2015.

Azahara Cerezo works on social changes, urban forms, and physical and virtual public space by means of strategies based on re/writing and repetition.