.txtform
In “.txtform”, Juan López explores parallels between artistic production in the Quaternary period and contemporary communication systems, creating a reinterpretation—a translation—into a new system of communication based on the signs from the Altamira cave. In a mural composition, López proposes a new alphabet derived from these signs, which represent an abstract language with established codes and inherent meanings.
The work was created specifically for this exhibition during the installation process, using plasterboard and cement—materials that act as a second skin and allow the artist to replicate the forms and volumes present in the Altamira cave.
In Juan López’s words, “the exhibition addresses the relationship between calligraphy and architecture as systems of communication.” The artist deconstructs claviform and tectiform signs, grouping or displacing their forms in positive and negative space to generate new alphabets and typographies, thereby creating a new form of visual communication.
Finally, the exhibition includes a sound sculpture that produces engravings inspired by the cave’s signs. An “amplified object” serves as an instrument to listen to and interpret the marks made on a limestone block from Escobedo (Cantabria).