The Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Monterrey (MARCO) and Galería Nordenhake present Meuser. New Production, in which Monterrey connects with Germany’s Ruhr region through work inspired by the industrial history of both places. For this exhibition presented in MARCO’s Sculpture Courtyard, the German artist has created eight new works produced in steel, a material that connects both with his previous work and with the contexts of the cities. In the case of Monterrey, steel represents the city’s economic and business development. On the other hand, much of Germany’s iron and steel is produced in the Ruhr mining basin, which comprises 53 cities, one of which is Essen, where Meuser was born. Blast furnaces make up the landscape of both regions.

It is then that the artist returns to steel as a reference to the industrial past, while the titles allude to the workers’ sense of humor. This has become a constant in his work: ironic, playful titles linked to the German working-class worldview, similar to Mexican puns. Two works in the exhibition serve as examples: Das Glück kommt durch die Hintertür, which can be translated as Happiness comes through the back door, or Immer aufwärts geht nicht – der Wein ist im Keller (You can’t always go up, the wine is in the cellar).

There are easily identifiable industrial elements that are important in Meuser’s work, such as I-beams, 42-gallon barrels, and tubular profiles of conventional diameters, among others. The artist also uses oil paint with a palette that recreates industrial coatings and achieves the effect of rust that evokes post-industrialization.

Meuser’s work lies somewhere between sculpture, painting, and installation. His pieces are considered a revaluation of industrial waste material. His main materials are steel plates and profiles, which he bends, twists, and shapes in gestures reminiscent of collage and found objects. Although the materials are distinguished by their rigidity, the artist emphasizes their flexibility and softness through his works.