“Radical Tenderness is an open conversation that starts with a question: how can we
imagine a different public space? It is an invitation to unlearn inherited structures of
power and representation, and to dream otherwise. To open ourselves – bravely and
tenderly – and imagine new horizons. A place not built on hierarchy, but held in
openness, in care and resistance. A space where we might meet one another differently,
remember our diverse histories, and, together, shape with joy and criticality the contours
of a future yet to come.”
– Iván Argote
Through his sculptures, installations, films, and interventions, Iván Argote, a Colombian
artist based in Paris, explores our relationships with others, power structures, and belief
systems. He develops strategies rooted in tenderness, affection, and humour, creating
critical perspectives on dominant historical narratives. His interventions on monuments
and large-scale ephemeral and permanent public artworks propose new symbolic and
political uses of public space.
“I’ve been in dialogue with Iván Argote for over a decade and I believe that he is one
of the most talented artists of his generation. Through humor and tenderness, his work
forces us to rethink our relationship with the public space and the troubling histories
and social tensions that are often embedded in its monuments and architecture. By
deconstructing the symbols of past ideologies and colonial power, Argote’s works offer a
new possible vision, one that responds to urgent calls for social justice and environmental
concern. And by reconceiving the public space and art institutions not as places of
hierarchy, but as sites of openness, resistance, and connection, Argote offers us more
diverse ways to memorialize our shared past and build a more caring, compassionate
future,” says Leonardo Bigazzi, curator of the exhibition.
Iván Argote, Radical Tenderness, Galerie Rudolfinum. On view June - September 2025. Photo by Ondřej Polák. Courtesy of Galerie Rudolfinum.
Iván Argote, Radical Tenderness, Galerie Rudolfinum. On view June - September 2025. Photo by Ondřej Polák. Courtesy of Galerie Rudolfinum.
Iván Argote, Radical Tenderness, Galerie Rudolfinum. On view June - September 2025. Photo by Ondřej Polák. Courtesy of Galerie Rudolfinum.
Iván Argote, Radical Tenderness, Galerie Rudolfinum. On view June - September 2025. Photo by Ondřej Polák. Courtesy of Galerie Rudolfinum.
Iván Argote, Radical Tenderness, Galerie Rudolfinum. On view June - September 2025. Photo by Ondřej Polák. Courtesy of Galerie Rudolfinum.
Iván Argote, Radical Tenderness, Galerie Rudolfinum. On view June - September 2025. Photo by Ondřej Polák. Courtesy of Galerie Rudolfinum.
Iván Argote, Radical Tenderness, Galerie Rudolfinum. On view June - September 2025. Photo by Ondřej Polák. Courtesy of Galerie Rudolfinum.
Iván Argote, Radical Tenderness, Galerie Rudolfinum. On view June - September 2025. Photo by Ondřej Polák. Courtesy of Galerie Rudolfinum.
Iván Argote, Radical Tenderness, Galerie Rudolfinum. On view June - September 2025. Photo by Ondřej Polák. Courtesy of Galerie Rudolfinum.
Iván Argote, Radical Tenderness, Galerie Rudolfinum. On view June - September 2025. Photo by Ondřej Polák. Courtesy of Galerie Rudolfinum.
Iván Argote, Radical Tenderness, Galerie Rudolfinum. On view June - September 2025. Photo by Ondřej Polák. Courtesy of Galerie Rudolfinum.
Iván Argote, Radical Tenderness, Galerie Rudolfinum. On view June - September 2025. Photo by Ondřej Polák. Courtesy of Galerie Rudolfinum.
Iván Argote, Radical Tenderness, Galerie Rudolfinum. On view June - September 2025. Photo by Ondřej Polák. Courtesy of Galerie Rudolfinum.
Iván Argote, Radical Tenderness, Galerie Rudolfinum. On view June - September 2025. Photo by Ondřej Polák. Courtesy of Galerie Rudolfinum.
Iván Argote, Radical Tenderness, Galerie Rudolfinum. On view June - September 2025. Photo by Ondřej Polák. Courtesy of Galerie Rudolfinum.
Iván Argote, Radical Tenderness, Galerie Rudolfinum. On view June - September 2025. Photo by Ondřej Polák. Courtesy of Galerie Rudolfinum.
Iván Argote, Radical Tenderness, Galerie Rudolfinum. On view June - September 2025. Photo by Ondřej Polák. Courtesy of Galerie Rudolfinum.
Iván Argote, Radical Tenderness, Galerie Rudolfinum. On view June - September 2025. Photo by Ondřej Polák. Courtesy of Galerie Rudolfinum.
Iván Argote, Radical Tenderness, Galerie Rudolfinum. On view June - September 2025. Photo by Ondřej Polák. Courtesy of Galerie Rudolfinum.
