FALLUJAH — M.I.U
LUCY + JORGE ORTA (FR)
EXHIBIT
FRI 22.06.12 - SAT 08.06.12
Since 2001, Lucy & Jorge Orta have made a series of M.I.U. (Mobile Intervention Units). Industrial vehicles, ex-military Saviem lorries or Red Cross ambulances have been converted into first aid and assistance units for civilian populations. These are multifunctional useful tools for emergencies, outfitted with different types of equipment for the different situations with which people may have to cope — from water filtering systems to temporary dormitories. The mobile unit is a basic module of a self-sufficient structure; each vehicle is a housing unit capable of facilitating mobility and autonomy of individuals. They use a range of materials and techniques to create their work, ranging from drawing, sculpture, installation, object making, couture, painting, silk screen printing and light works.
BIO: Lucy Orta was born in Sutton Coldfield, UK in 1966 and Jorge Orta was born in Rosario, Argentina in 1953. They founded Studio Orta Paris in 1991 and have produced a number of provoking works, the most emblematic of which are: Refuge Wear and Body Architecture (portable minimum habitats bridging architecture and dress), HortiRecycling (the food chain in global and local contexts), OrtaWater (the general scarcity of this vital resource and the problems arising from its pollution and corporate control). The Ortas’ artwork has been the focus of major solo exhibitions internationally.