Wilfredo Prieto | in The Bakery: Save Box
Opening: 22.05, 5 – 9 PM
23.05 - 28.06.2025
As part of Amsterdam Art Week, Annet Gelink Gallery is proud to present Sa ve Box (2014) by Wilfredo Prieto in its project space, The Bakery. The presentation continues the gallery’s year-long celebration of its 25th anniversary by showcasing an iconic and thought-provoking work that encapsulates both the spirit of the artist and the gallery's enduring commitment to groundbreaking contemporary art.
Originally unveiled at Art Basel in 2015, Sa ve Box remains as timely and compelling as ever. The piece invites viewers to reflect on the paradoxes of value within the art world. At first glance, the work appears to be nothing more than an ordinary cardboard box—unassuming, even disposable. However, concealed within it is a secure safe, introducing a striking contrast between the mundane exterior and the precious, guarded interior.
This juxtaposition, characteristic of Prieto’s minimalist and often humor-laced style, provokes a deeper meditation on the perceived and assigned value of art. Is the box valuable because of what it hides? Or is the real “value” the conceptual tension between visibility and invisibility, between expectation and reality?
By merging the language of minimalism with subtle irony, Prieto cleverly critiques the commodification of contemporary art, questioning what we choose to protect, display, or discard.
In addition to Sa ve Box, the first part of Prieto’s ongoing documentary is on view. The film offers an intimate look into the artist’s long-term practice and the creative process behind his ambitious land art project Viaje Infinito (Infinite Journey). This major ongoing work transforms the Cuban landscape into a large-scale conceptual path, embodying themes of movement, infinity, and poetic absurdity. The documentary serves as both a rare behind-the-scenes portrait and a deeper philosophical exploration of Prieto’s evolving artistic language.
Wilfredo Prieto’s work has been exhibited worldwide, including: PinchukArtCentre, Kyiv, Ukraine, Palazzo Contarini Polignac, Venice, Italy (2024); Fondazione Morra Greco, Naples, Italy (2019); Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN (2017); Centre Pompidou, Paris (2014); S.M.A.K, Ghent, Belgium (2014); CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Art, San Francisco, CA (2012); Sala de Arte Público Siqueiros, Mexico City (2012); Pirelli HangarBiccoca, Milan (2012); CA2M, Madrid (2011); PS1 MoMA, New York (2008); Dia Art Foundation, New York (2007); Kadist Art Foundation, Paris (2006); among others
Wilfredo Prieto represented Cuba at the 60th Venice Biennial (2024). Furthermore, the artist has participated in biennials such as the 12th Istanbul Biennial, Turkey (2011); 57th, 54th and 52nd Venice Biennial, Italy (2017, 2011 and 2007); XIth Bienal Internacional de Cuenca, Ecuador (2011); 11th Lyon Biennial, France (2011); 29th Sao Paulo Biennale (2010); XIII, XII, XI, X, VIII and VII Habana Biennial, Cuba (2019, 2015, 2012, 2009, 2003 and 2000); 1st Singapore Biennial, Singapore (2006).
