I-Machinarius
In I-Machinarius, Mexican artist Marcela Armas presents a map of her native country, which takes the form of machinery whose belts are continuously lubricated by oil. In front of the map, presented here in an inverted form, the black liquid flows towards the “north”, acting as a symbol of Mexico’s economic dependence on the United States.

CRUDE

Crude oil, in all of its manifestations as energy, petroleum, natural gas, plastics, medicine, asphalt, fertilizers, and pesticides, is the principle industrial commodity and the world’s most valuable natural resource. An ancient substance, crude oil is continuously reborn in its applications and implementations. Molodkin’s incorporation of crude oil into his works provokes an open dialogue on how culture and geopolitical systems are influenced by oil. In one of his constructions, Molodkin analyzes the concept of democracy through the universal vernacular of oil.