Carleti
Meta Realms of Carleti Lopez Traviesa: Where Conceptual Art Meets Meme Culture
“I have no complaints, and I like everything, despite the fact that I have never been here and know nothing about these places,” says the inscription written in Cyrillic on a radiant red banner held by a group of Kellogg’s mascots: Cornelius Rooster, Melvin the Elephant, Toucan Sam, and Tony the Tiger. The animals smile and gesticulate enthusiastically, as if participating in some sort of existential rally. The landscape behind them is gray, with cryptic lines and circles. What is this place, and what are these famous mascots promoting now?
In the painting “Extinction”, Spanish artist Carleti Lopez Traviesa portrays animals that have vanished from Kellogg’s cereal boxes across several Latin American countries due to health campaigns aimed at reducing childhood obesity. The banner alludes to “Slogan, 1977”, an art intervention performed by a group of Soviet conceptualists in the 1970s. The artists hung an identical red banner in a desolate winter forest, conducting field research on the possibilities of context. In contrast to the snowy backdrop in the original photograph documenting the performance, the misty background of the painting creates a sense of limbo where the abandoned mascots seem consigned to oblivion. Removed from the marketing context, the ideological role of the commercial avatars shifts, transforming them into icons of the realm of existential capitalism. As the artist explains, ‘I even planned a show titled “Extinction” centered on the disappearance of fantastical animal breeds. Much like the Iberian lynx or grouse, which are endangered, mascots disappear in a similar manner as a result of political decisions.’