Edgar Orlaineta

Edgar Orlaineta (1972, Mexico City) lives and works in Mexico City. In his practice, Orlaineta focuses on hybrid sculptural forms that draw inspiration from modernism, popular culture, and specific historic moments. Orlaineta primarily explores post-war design and architecture that generally depicted biomorphic shapes owing to strong surrealist influence. In his original works Orlaineta questions the symbolic and economic value of industrial design objects, which began as mass produced products and later evolved into coveted collectors items, by either incorporating craft elements or combining them into assemblages with everyday objects that lack any historical relevance. In his interventions and assemblages, Orlaineta seeks to open these design objects to new perspectives through denial of their functionality, historical or cult value in order to reactivate the legacy of the historical avant-garde. 

Orlaineta's work is held in the collections of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden; Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo (MUAC); CaixaForum Barcelona; the Hammer Museum; CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts; Museo Amparo; the Museo de Arte Moderno (Mexico City); the Denver Art Museum; and Museo Universitario del Chopo.