MILER LAGOS: THE PRESS AND THE TRACE OF TIME AT MAX ESTRELLA
Max Estrella in Madrid presents Getsemaní. Prensa de olivo (Getsemaní. Olive Press), the second solo exhibition by Miler Lagos (Bogotá, Colombia, 1973) at the gallery. The show features a series of engravings in which both the techniques used and the material supports become essential elements of the final result.
Working with the intaglio technique, the Colombian artist explores the relationship between humans and nature, delving into the chemical processes involved and the effects of time. At the conceptual core of the project lies the notion of encounter—as a process, a memory, and a form of connection.
The cotton paper, crafted entirely by hand in Colombia, highlights the importance of artisanal production. This stage is followed by a second process carried out in Spain, where a large plate made from a millennia-old olive tree is used. The press transfers the imprint of the tree, preserving both its physical texture and its symbolic weight.
Getsemaní. Prensa de olivo is part of La Reserva (The Reserve), an ongoing project comprising engravings made using this same technique. In each piece, the press imprints the tree’s surface to preserve the memory it holds and to trace the passage of time. Every engraving carries a unique narrative, reflecting the exchange and value embedded in the materials and their histories.
The metal plates used are treated to shape the final compositions, expanding organically into carefully planned crevices. Subsequent oxidation processes introduce a distinctive range of chromatic effects rooted in chemical transformation.
The ancient olive tree serves as a potent allegory, tied both to geography and to history. Rooted in the Mediterranean—a region once central to Phoenician trade, the birth of coinage, and early economies—it becomes a vessel for time and meaning. Through this imprint, the engraved plate becomes a tangible testimony to a shared cultural and material past.
Getsemaní. Prensa de olivo is on view until June 1 at Max Estrella, Santo Tomé 6, Madrid, Spain.
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