Fernando Sánchez Castillo (1970)
Rabobank first came across the work of Fernando Sánchez Castillo at Art Basel in 2004, where he stood out with his idiosyncratic approach and unique choice of themes. From professionally shot films and performances to classic media such as bronze, Sánchez Castillo takes a stand on abstract concepts like power, exploring sub-aspects within his theme: group versus individual, the effect of time on historiography, or the meaning of leadership within a dictatorship. Having lived through the waning days of Franco's dictatorial regime, the artist expresses his sense of the art and cultural history of his native Spain in a universal language of images and an extremely consistent oeuvre. His images and films transcend language barriers and iconographic limits. Clearly, people the world over immediately identify the language of power when seeing a bronze bust, a mechanised water cannon in action or a horse and rider.
