Artist Spotlight: Isabel and Alfredo Aquilizan

9 Jul 2024

NOW OPEN AT SIRIUS SYDNEY, THE ROCKS

Image: Isabel and Alfredo Aquilizan, Bound, 2024, installation view, Sirius Sydney at The Rocks. Photographed by Document Photography. Courtesy of the artist, Ames Yavuz and UAP | Urban Art Projects.

The Aquilizans’ latest major public art commission Bound is now permanently on view at Sirius Sydney in The Rocks. This six-metre cast bronze sculpture depicts a sea vessel made of 85 pieces of luggage tied together with 150 metres of rope, created with an understanding of the storied history of The Rocks and deeply connected to universal ideas of home.

“Our artwork symbolises hope and the creation of new memories, celebrating the unity formed through shared experiences and a sense of belonging. It serves as a reminder of the viewer’s own roots, personal journeys and exploration,” say Isabel and Alfredo Aquilizan.

Curated by Urban Art Projects, the artwork was commissioned by JDH Capital for Sirius Sydney.

CURRENT EXHIBITIONS

Connectivity Construction

Asian Culture Center, South Korea

On view until 21 July 2024

Image: Isabel and Alfredo Aquilizan, In-Habit: Project Another Country, 2023, cardboard, recycled wood, dimensions variable; installation view, Connectivity Construction, Asian Culture Center, South Korea, 2023. Photograph by Diam ⓒ National Asian Culture Center. Courtesy of the artists and ACC.

A Better Place

Groninger Museum, Netherlands

On view until 3 November 2024

Image: Isabel and Alfredo Aquilizan, Head/Home, installation view, A Better Place, Groninger Museum, Netherlands, 2024. Photographed by Corne Sparidaens and Niels Knelis respectively. Courtesy of the artists and Groninger Museum.

Planet Utopia

Japanisches Palais, Dresden

On view until 30 March 2025

Image: Isabel and Alfredo Aquilizan, DWELL/IN/PLACE, installation view, Planet Utopia, Japanisches Palais, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Dresden, Germany, 2024. Photographed by Oliver Killi. Courtesy of the artists and Künstlerische Leiterin Kinderbiennale.

RECENT ACQUISITION

Museum MACAN

Images: Isabel and Alfredo, Wings Baanan Series – Baby Wings #2, #4, #5, #6, #7; Tender: Left Wing Series (Magdalena) #1–7 (set of 12 sculptures), 2021–23, installation view, Somewhere, ElseWhere, Nowhere, Museum, Museum MACAN, Jakarta, 2023. Courtesy of the artists and Museum MACAN.

Isabel and Alfredo Aquilizan’s expansive Left Wing Project has been acquired by Museum MACAN, following their inaugural survey exhibitionSomewhere, Elsewhere, Nowhere in June 2023. The exhibition covered over 20 years of the Aquilizans’ collaborative practice, highlighting their significant contributions to global art discourses on urban development, migration, and identity formation.

Notable works acquired include their distinctive wing pieces and drawings, Belok Kiri Jalan Terus (2015–18), which reflect the artists’ deep-rooted connections within the artistic and industrial community of Yogyakarta.

Image: (Top) Portrait of Isabel and Alfredo Aquilizan. Image courtesy of Museum MACAN, Jakarta, 2023.