ERICK BELTRÁN: A REARTICULATION OF BAROQUE SYMBOLISM OF POWER
Erick Beltrán examines how Baroque iconography shaped imaginaries of power that remain active today and, through a rereading of Hispanic epistles and emblems, questions contemporary forms of authority and representation.
Prats Nogueras Blanchard presents at its Madrid space Lo que está presente, a solo exhibition by Erick Beltrán (Mexico City, Mexico, 1974), in which the artist reflects on the representation of power and investigates how Baroque iconography has shaped our understanding of the present. Through a sustained study of emblems found in funerary monuments and epistles on good governance, Beltrán traces connections between the collective imagination of the period and certain contemporary ideological structures.
Beltrán delves into the semiotics of the elements surrounding royal funerals—mass ceremonies devoted to the passage of the deceased’s soul and the exaltation of their grandeur. These structures embodied the theatrum mundi, and ephemeral catafalques were erected, covered with empresas —emblematic devices— intended to structure collective mourning and reaffirm the political order.
From this perspective, the exhibition invites a rereading of these devices through a contemporary lens. The show unfolds as a vast system of images that revisits Baroque tradition in order to transform it into a critical instrument for questioning current forms of representation and power. As part of his ongoing research into the pudridero and its paraphernalia associated with royalty—alongside other metaphorical mechanisms of authority—Beltrán examines the symbolism and impact of Hispanic traditions through diverse representations.
Central to this approach is the tradition of compiling letters addressed to royal houses—epistolary documents structured as advice and warnings for good governance and proper praxis, while also articulating moral, philosophical, and political concerns. The empresas interrogate the administration, execution, and limits of power through a framework that incorporates the riddles and stratagems inherent to authority. These visual enigmas appear laden with clues, subtly signaling their underlying intentions.
Erick Beltrán. Lo que está presente can be seen through April 18, 2026, at Prats Nogueras Blanchard, Beneficencia 18-B, Madrid, Spain.
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