El Salvador
Artist: René Chacón (1960-2016)
1977: Scholarship from the OAS (arts& craft)in Cuenta, Ecuador
1979/80: Scholorship for studies of classical art in Florence
1993/95/97: Participation at the Biennale of Venice, Italy
Since 1998: Study trips through Central America and Europe
Exhibitions:
1974-78: Active in many Galleries in San Salvador and La Palma
1986: Istituto Italo Latino Americano, Rome 1994: Festival Latinoamericano, Rome
1995: Bawag - Foundation, Vienna; German-Italian Cultural Institute, Venice
Since 1996, Exhibitions included: Ingolstadt, Köln, Munich, Venice, Guatemala City, Berlin.
Interpretation
"The Jaguarbear" or "Fascination with Metamorphosis"
The lovely Buddy Bear, the emblem of Berlin, whose ancestors must have been "respectable" bears, is turned into a Jaguar with a firm look, indicating sternness or even a threat.
I allowed myself to be inspired by the original power of this Central American cultural heritage, of which El Salvador is a part. A cult around the Jaguar Spirit, going back to the Olmeks, used to be alive in El Salvador.
The jaguar, being the only large feline in the Americas, must have impressed the native people with its unmatched power, which is precise and as fast as lightning when used to kill prey.
In mythical times, rainforests were inhabited by the spirits of animals, plants and people. They were accompanied by a multitude of ghosts who were capable of transforming themselves into other creatures.
At that time, the jaguar was in possession of fire and people often found themselves the victim of supernatural creatures. Today, the jaguar is threatened by the hand of humans, he seems to be robbed of his power.
Yet the mystification is still alive to me. Here, the metamorphosis of the bear into a jaguar takes place. I felt the need to give the sweet and loveable Buddy Bear back a piece of his raw animal roots from the wilderness, which probably still is a part of each bear.
René Chacón
Sponsor: Botschaft von El Salvador