CHICOTE CFC

Gracia Giraldos Art Critic / Gallery Manager "Arte Actual Gallery" / 07-06-2023 "Astonishing is the nature of the volatile: it is as ephemeral as it is ethereal, and becomes complex to stage when one seeks to hold it in time, with the healthy intention of capturing it on paper. Just as complex is the task of fitting within an existing movement that almost atomic abstraction—filled with infinite volatile particles—that travels through each of Chicote’s works. And yet it does so… and manages to make whatever is not matter pose for him, willingly and eagerly, always revealing the finest side of his practice. Perhaps a random hand of fate determined this crossing of paths; perhaps certain events were simply destined to unfold in precisely the way they have. But it is this coincidence that has given rise to a close collaboration sustained over time—one that does not appear to be mere chance. It has allowed me to take part in, and enter into, a small corner of his microcosm: that place where life and imagination form a whole, a latent universe opening itself wide in a symphony of expressive, infinite and dynamic textures. As a photographer, Chicote is a watchful and attentive gaze: he observes, explores, analyses and contemplates from all four points of the compass. He neither neglects nor dismisses any detail of what unfolds, however insignificant it may seem. This allows him to let everything flow and to project it through his acuity and imagination, with that same perspective. On his travels, he refuses to take the wheel of any vehicle, so as not to miss a single detail. He prefers to adopt the position of spectator, immersing himself in the grandeur of experiencing and appreciating space, form and colour from a privileged, contemplative viewpoint. Everything adds up… everything fits… everything falls into place within the great puzzle he has forged from that remarkable symbiosis he constructs and deconstructs in his mind, beginning with the image of a simple reality. Chicote, the artist, is future. He walks and moves freely through the nearest future, even before having lived the present that will determine the likelihood of what may come to pass. He anticipates everything with the meticulous rigour that gives him the assurance of having everything thought out and conceived in advance. And yet, the person—the human being—hidden behind that apparently calm countenance is “pure blood”: tension and nerve, always difficult to contain. Inevitably, he can prove untameable and stubborn at times, contrasting with his tempered equilibrium. His restlessness and his drive to immerse himself completely in a purpose—one he will not abandon until he considers it complete—are unmistakable. These qualities are undoubtedly reflected in his work: if at certain moments it reveals a gentle stillness, for the most part it is pure force and energy."