Contact Photo is pleased to present ¿SUEÑAS CON MARIPOSAS? - a solo exhibition by Victor Llorente. This exhibition showcases photographs captured by the artist during his 2020 journey to the Cerro Pelon Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary and El Rosario Butterfly Sanctuary in Mexico.
The Monarch Butterfly, scientifically named Danaus plexippus, which translates to "sleepy transformation," is renowned for its remarkable migration from Canada and the United States to central Mexico, where it undergoes hibernation.
"The sound of Monarch butterflies fluttering through the empty forest is carved in my memory. I had to pinch myself to make sure that I wasn't dreaming of this surreal spectacle of countless butterflies."
Shortly after Llorente's return to New York, the entire world found itself in a state of hibernation due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The next couple of years has been, for Llorente, as with many of us, a time of uncertainty and a realization that he has little control over the future. We've come out on the other side, completely different beings.
These photographs are the artist's interpretation of the transformation that he went through and witnessed around him during that time. This body of work is vivid evidence that embraces the sense of loss and, simultaneously, a powerful symbol of resilience that console us.
Victor Llorente (b.1996) was born and raised in Madrid, Spain, and currently lives and works as a photographer in Queens, NY. He received his BFA in Photography and Related Media in 2019 from the Fashion Institute of Technology, attended the Eddie Adams Workshop in 2018, and was selected as one of The 30: New and Emerging Photographers to Watch by Photo District News (PDN) in 2020. His work has been featured in The New York Times, TIME, New York Magazine, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Vice, GQ, W Magazine, and Rolling Stone, to name a few.
¿SUEÑAS CON MARIPOSAS? (Do you dream of butterflies?)
Victor Llorente - Solo Exhibition
August 17 - August 26, 2023
Gallery Hours:
Tuesdays - Fridays 12 - 7pm
Saturdays 12 - 5pm
Sunday (August 20th only*) 12 - 5pm
*Meet the artist, Victor Llorente in person on Sunday, August 20th 12 - 5pm