I know you recognize me. You see a familiar face when you look at me. And I wink back. You blush and I smile. We have known each other from a while back.

We get lost in the music. We vibe. I glide and you dance. It doesn’t matter where you come from, or where I call home. We only care about the rhythm. And it makes all things fun.

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We go get something to drink. You just noticed my piercing bling-bling. We stroll under the disco ball. Check me out, I am about to kill it on the dancefloor.

Jordi Alós's work can be viewed as contemporary visual storytelling. Through his paintings, he aims to demonstrate that while we all possess a private side, the collective aspect is the most significant facet of our individual experiences.

The first aspect mentioned earlier pertains to Jordi’s clown-like faces, known as machangos. The term machango, commonly used to describe someone as a clown, a doll, or even dumb, is a verbal expression originating from the Canary Islands, where Jordi spent some time during an artistic residency program. This experience provided him with the opportunity to create a completely new visual interpretation of the term. By extracting the most relevant features, he achieved a certain level of abstraction, resulting in the creation of a wholly new persona through a process of facial conceptualization.

The second aspect discusses Jordi’s role as a storyteller. His journey begins in the underground art scene and street life, where he tasted freedom and liberation from the creative authorities he sought to escape. Subsequently, he becomes entangled in diverse situations that lead him to inhabit a new reality alongside individuals from various backgrounds and environments. The artist believes that we are all products of an extensive process of cultural exchange, wherein our origins are not relevant as long as we are aware of our present identities.

The concept of machango enables the artist to animate a social, cultural, and artistic amalgamation, wherein music also holds a significant role: rock, rap, electronic music, and funk coexist. In the concluding verse, we observe how music occupies a pivotal position in his work, blending Mexican culture with others to present a new rendition of what is considered "the popular."

Jordi Alós's work invites us to perceive ourselves as liberated and rebellious individuals, embracing the philosophy of live and let live. He urges us to embrace spontaneity, recognizing that we are here to partake in boundless experiences. Ultimately, we are all machangos.

Now play that funky music.

Regina Favela

April 2024

Venue: Galería Secreta (April 18, 2024)