“Idle Time has become that free moment we have between one task and another in the production process. Productive inertia has turned idle time into a simulacrum of leisure, a residual time in which, strangely enough, we don’t seem to know what to do.” – Isaac Cordal

In the vibrant heart of Madrid’s Barrio de las Letras, Isaac Cordal’s exhibition “Tiempos Muertos,” more aptly understood as “Idle Times,” debuted at the ON Art Space on Calle Santa Maria 37. Hailing from Pontevedra, Galicia, and currently residing in Bilbao, Cordal is celebrated for his distinctively satirical and somewhat melancholic view of our societal landscape.

Trained in the art of sculpture at the School of Fine Arts in Pontevedra and further refining his craft at the School of Canteiros, his work masterfully intertwines traditional techniques with contemporary themes. Renowned for his “Cement Eclipses” project, Cordal’s miniature sculptures have become a critical lens through which the absurdity of our daily routines and the deeper malaises of urban life are magnified.

“Idle Times” offers a small yet comprehensive survey of Cordal’s stylistic evolution, weaving together his enduring fascination with the mundane, the mystifying, the miniature, and the monumental. This exhibition invites viewers on a reflective journey through the paradoxical trappings of modern life, where productivity and idleness, connection and isolation, digital engagement and disengagement perpetually intersect.

Cordal’s dark humor shines through as he nods to the stupefying muddle that is our existence, capturing the essence of idle moments as both a puzzling symptom and a withering critique of our times. “The infinite scroll is the closest thing to the modern rosary,” he observes, highlighting a soulless collective drift into digital oblivion and ever-greater productivity.

Through various installations that span his recent career, “Idle Times” showcases Cordal’s ability to encapsulate the peculiarities of contemporary human conditions with irony and depth. His sculptures, set against the backdrop of urban decay or the cold glow of a smartphone screen, serve as poignant reminders of life’s absurd theatre. It’s in these finely crafted scenes of everyday disconnectedness that Cordal’s voice is most resonant, urging us to question the true cost of our ceaseless hustle. At the same time, the digital leash increasingly binds us.

We once summarized Cordal’s oeuvre as a “catastrophic reality and a sense of entrapment within an electronic prison of everyday existence,” underscoring the artist’s commitment to exploring the boundaries between reality and satire. “Idle Times” not only celebrates Isaac Cordal’s artistic journey but continues to challenge viewers to confront the absurdity of our daily lives, with a bit of laughter if you can summon it.

TIEMPOS MUERTOS | ISAAC CORDAL

ON ART SPACE | CalleSanta Maria 37 | Barrio de Ias Letras | 28014 Madrid

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