Index is conceived as an online platform for documenting, collecting and appreciating art. It emerges as an examination of the gallery archives to draft new directions and further comprehend the works of art and artists that form our program. 

JH: In my work, what I try to do is create a record of the present, a trace based on things that exist and circulate. In that process, I also try to understand what we do, what we experience, our reactions, and responses to what we know. That's where I find the most valuable aspect of my work, and in art as well. Drawing and dissecting what may endure in the future... if it ever comes.

At the beginning of my second year working on Proyecto Paralelo, around February 2020, just before the pandemic, we inaugurated Galería Nacional, the first solo show by Jonathan Hernández (1972, Mexico City) within the space. The exhibition consisted of several works with a deep geographical, social, political, and cultural context, loaded with sharp and ironic humor: they accentuate our need to register our passage, weaving together the fragments of reality into a cohesive total. Archivo Nacional (2019-ongoing), which I still remember as a delight to narrate, explain, and discuss, brought together images from the press, pamphlets, postcards, and photographs. Moments that seemingly may not be linked to each other, but when placed within a glass display cabinet and designed to be read as a kind of national cartography, where suddenly contexts overlap, and privileges are twisted. Unappealable cynicism, deeply rooted. Constant, lost, plunging and rising nationalism. A false montage of invented and oppressive discourses: the fictional tabloid. 

Titles also play a key role within his practice, they provide context and aid in strengthening the satire that composes the carefully crafted message, which is in constant confrontation with the nostalgic longing for a scenario that could’ve been but wasn’t. For example, Autorretrato ciego: "el mundo del arte es parte de una economia de especialización y producción de relaciones sociales que se materializan en exposiciones, conferencias, residencias, vernissages, homenajes, fiestas VIP y presentaciones. Los vínculos y la red de contactos creados son más importantes que las obras o los proyectos mismos, por lo tanto, el mundo del arte es un contexto y una red social de distribución” (2019), a selfie stick holding a traditional Mexican sweet covered in gold: a typical, superficial, and addictive craving. At first glance, they might seem absurd or senseless: everyday objects with subtle details that transform their initial meaning to disrupt and reconfigure its interpretation. One must not forget that reading between the lines is intrinsic to Jonathan’s practice, one must uncover the message that lies behind what’s noticeable. 

JH: I am interested in images from the printed press because they have their own life and circulation, which also, thinking about it in current terms and in relation to when I started the project, the matter has evolved almost making it something on the brink of extinction. In the last ten years, the way physical newspapers exist has changed a lot, and it's on decline, because, of course, digital media has gained unparalleled strength and power.

A facet of the creative journey that has intrigued me revolves around cataloging and composition. It appears that little has fundamentally shifted; the images bear witness to an absence of tranquility, with no imminent arrival. Impending disaster, deep-rooted corruption, artistic favoritism, and persisting hierarchies, alongside prolonged wars with no clear resolution in sight. The unceasing pursuit of shock continues to gloom over us, a consequence of the enduring global paradigm of uncertainty that has prevailed since the 1970s. It is perhaps in Jonathan's work where we can dissect the elapsed time and visualize, to some extent, a fractured and imprecise but feasible future.

JH: One of my interests lies in the ability of the image to trigger thought, regardless of its original intent. As time has passed, an essential way to compile this hybrid between archive and collection has been through the editorial projects I have undertaken. Because they are the first outlet, or the first form of existence where an idea takes shape. They are a visual essay in the form of a book that later evolves into a collage. The working process often starts from this editorial circumstantial condition. This has been what has given shape to the project, archive, or collection that goes by the name of Vulnerabilia.

The images systematically compiled by Jonathan from the press possess a thought-provoking quality. Some are distinctive or unique, while others gain significance through repetition—gestures of politicians, accidents, ruins: scenes commonly featured in the media. Initially, these image cutouts unveil the propagandistic essence of the media, highlighting the systematic recurrence of depicting the same content repeatedly. Consequently, this relentless bombardment and overstimulation lead to a diminishing sense of meaning. Barthes proposed that photography was a "codeless medium" and that to acquire meaning, it had to be anchored to something else, usually text. However, Jonathan does not rely on text; on the contrary, he proposes the image as the sole source of information. He shows us that by placing an apparently unrelated image next to another, the reading completely transforms: the juxtaposition of opposites or similarities changes the initial message of the photograph, allowing it to be distorted, altered—it allows it to become a lie or a parallel reality.

He crafts social and mental landscapes that are sharp, unfiltered, and void. They are equally restored, reconstructed, and prolonged, akin to an everlasting presidential rant when explanations are due for unkept promises and neglect. His work presents a puzzle that implies multiple versions of the chronology thrust upon us over time. It serves as a testimony to the myriad facets, questions, and few affirmations surrounding a so-called official version.

JH: The captions in the press exist for that, right? To point out, communicate, or reiterate what is seen in the image, so it's important for me to detach them from that information. For example, if it's a well-known politician or a place that many people identify, then I suggest that the reading arises from that link-relationship and not from the specific narrative provided by the press. Relationships are woven in a formal, conceptual, or emotional way... but always extracted from their original context.

Jonathan does not put forward an official version, instead, his aim is to foster contemplation, reflection, and criticism of political, social, and cultural systems—above all, regarding how we consume and interpret information presented by the media. Juanita Solano Roa, Colombian historian and writer, in describing Vulnerabilia, poses a couple of indispensable questions to weigh and meditate on Jonathan's work: how can a photograph, just by flipping the page or cropping the image, change so dramatically in meaning and content? How can the affective properties of formal elements radically shift depending on the context of the image?

Now, let's consider how to address these questions in light of the abundance of images circulating daily on social media, coupled with their rapid pace and reproduction. Consequently, it is this overstimulation that leads to emotional numbness: we transition from one subject to another without thoughtful consideration or reasoning. Each day, we witness images of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict seamlessly followed by a remarkably synchronized choreography. A simple swipe upwards reveals the aftermath of Otis in Acapulco, intertwined with fresh Britney Spears gossip, a stomach-turning recipe, updates on AMLO, insights into the drug trade, news of David Velasco being fired, and finally, the rise of the extreme right in Argentina. Amidst this deluge, the images lose the impact that traditional print media once bestowed upon them—the contemplative aspect that allowed for discernment of hidden information within the crevices. Naturally, information overload also opens the door to manipulation; the two are not mutually exclusive but rather connected by a bridge that extends between them.

JH: Things are changing, evolving into another form. Perhaps the moment will come, in 5-10 years, when printed newspapers disappear. Circulation has been decreasing more and more worldwide. I sought to understand the circumstance to see what could happen, and then it was recognizing that a project (Vulnerabilia) that I have been working on for a long time could come to an end.

This year, Jonathan unveiled his sixth exhibition, Andando, Dislocados y Fuera de Lugar, at La Caja Negra in Madrid. The press remains a vital element in this project, serving as its backbone. Notably, a compelling juxtaposition unfolds between the Vulnerabilia series and the video titled Vulnerabilia (tapabocas). The former comprises collages featuring images sourced from print media, while the latter is a looped video created during the pandemic, portraying political figures in a crisis scenario. The alteration of the medium introduces variations in effects, observations, as well as the overall impact and potency of the images: the micro-narratives that emerge diverge significantly. 

JH: One thing that was important for me during the pandemic was trying to understand and assimilate the shift between physical printed material (newspapers) and the intangible digital realm (social media). That's why I created, which suddenly, for me, is also a collage, the video of the face masks that I now exhibit in Caja Negra. Several of the images that compose it, maybe 25-30, I have in physical form because they also appeared in printed press. However, considering that the printed press is in total lag from the digital world, as one finally buys the newspaper and reads and observes what happened the day before, a lag that certainly does not exist on social media: if something happens, within minutes, it's already circulating online.

This exhibition also includes Política ficción (2023), a term coined by Carlos Salinas de Gortari, were Jonathan extends his artistic reach to the streets of Madrid, a city where three Mexican ex-presidents either reside or conceal themselves. Throughout, Jonathan resourcefully exploits diverse means to convey his message, with a particular emphasis, in this case, on the utilization of public spaces. Rather than merely dazzling, this approach serves to reaffirm the cynicism and audacity of politicians, highlighting their seemingly effortless ability to mobilize, forget, and start anew.

Jonathan's books and installations propose a dialogue toward the tensions surrounding the confrontation of a historical moment against personal experience or interpretation. The sarcasm or irony of the work probably lies in the reconfiguration: the recycling of objects and photographs to reformulate a kind of inventory of moments, laden with intentions possibly contrary to their initial ones. Perhaps it's about (de)contextualizing (mis)encounters, extending the recent past; maybe they are an extension of the (mis)alignment in the collective imagination, a continuous loop about the absurd, ephemeral, and fleeting nature of the world we inhabit.

— Nico Barraza