Alfredo Ceibal

In his imaginary future, Guatemalan artist Alfredo Ceibal creates an interplay between the myths and cultural practices of classical Mayan culture and contemporary ecological ideas. The two series, It is not nice to fool mother nature (2021) and World Society of Volunteers (2012-2021), presented as part of the exhibition State and Nature, unfold images of an alternative human evolution tracing the question: What would have become of the indigenous peoples of the American continents if they had not been invaded by strangers from overseas almost 500 years ago?

The artist finds inspiration in the ruins of pre-Columbian Mayan architecture in his homeland. In the series of drawings titled World Society of Volunteers (2012–2021), he imagines, in his own words, "an invented society of universal effectiveness where the citizens voluntarily contribute time and labor to create a world freed from the horrors and harms of greed and human abuse that have occurred throughout history." Ceibal thus subtly addresses life in the anthropocene, the effects of global ecological degradation, and the consequences for humanity.

It is not nice to fool mother nature (2021) has been shown at Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden as part of the exhibition State and Nature in 2021. It consists of fine line drawings on watercolored cardboard and often additional colorfield painted cardboards, as shown in the exhibition views.