Ivan Navarro

Ivn Navarro is known internationally for his sociopolitically charged sculptures of neon and fluorescent light. The sculptures and installations of Ivn Navarro grow out of the legacy of minimalism and modern design, but they subvert the cool detachment of their forms with pointed sociopolitical critique. Born in Santiago, Chile, in 1972, Navarro grew up under Pinochets brutal military dictatorship. In order to better understand this dark history, Navarro uses lighta symbol of hope and truthas his medium, constructing chairs, ladders, doors, and even shopping carts out of neon and fluorescent lights. With their ambient glow and live current, the works are equally seductive and unnerving. In this first monograph on the artist, Cay Sophie Rabinowitz considers the personal stories underlying Navarros sleek, industrially produced works. In conversation with Hilarie M. Sheets, Navarro discusses his relationship to modernism, minimalism, and language.