Andrés Monnier’s stone sculptures enquire whether we are ‘Living in Automatic’

Living in Automatic is an exhibition hosted by Galerie Philia at Banyan Tree Veya, Valle de Guadalupe in Mexico, a space conceived by Rojkind Arquitectos and Amasa Estudio. It displays a collection of sculptural works by Mexican artist Andrés Monnier, inviting a re-examination of our perception of reality.

With the ongoing design exhibition, the self-taught sculptural artist asks viewers, "Have you ever questioned why you believe what you believe?" This specific inquiry motivated him to deconstruct his belief system, to enable the forging of new ideas and thoughts through his creative practice. In this method of working, Monnier mirrors the process of stone sculpting.

The collection of product designs and sculptural art showcased at Living in Automatic (which opened on June 20, 2024) is conceptually centred around the human brain, its potential, neuroplasticity, consciousness and socio-cultural conditioning. Further, they question the myriad of ideas that influence and shape human experiences.

The founder of Monnier Studio explores these concepts through different textures to produce the various rock sculptures presented in Living in Automatic. The artist presents four different objects: Rito (an installation), Davido (a low table), Illusio (a floor mirror) and Fragmentos (a centre table design).

Rito is a black marble installation that "invites us to place in perspective the relationship humans have with religion and spiritual beliefs," as the artist puts it. In an attempt to question the concept of belief and religion, different rock fragments are superimposed on a stainless steel plate, to evoke a 'clustered' feeling. Davido is made of quarry stone and functions as a low table and focuses on the concept of 'human existence,' which according to Monnier, can be questioned through the idea of 'connection.'

Illusio is the combination of a floor mirror and a sculpture of quarry stone. It intends to "remind us that we're not real," he shares. This piece questions the idea of reality and our perception of it. Fragmentos, a centre table made of red travertine conceptually reflects the idea that "we’re not only our thoughts, emotions, body and personality," he observes.