Santorini by Georgios, in South Beach and the best Greek restaurant in Miami, has become a cultural hub that attracts the most diverse artistic icons, an establishment whose owner greets you by throwing plates on the ground – a Greek tradition – to hug you and tell you you want. Aldo Comas and Macarena Gómez are already lifelong admirers of Georgios Vogiatzis. The husband of the protagonist of 30 Coins (HBO) – a new and prominent figure of Spanish Neo-Expressionism according to the local press – has just exhibited at Art Basel Miami, along with Basel, the most relevant international art week in the world.
“The reception has been spectacular, taking into account my short career in the art world and that the exhibition was a single show… This is my second year and getting to exhibit for a week at Art Basel is a privilege. Look, just to tell you that now I’m traveling to Saudi Arabia for another exhibition… Everything is linked,” explains Comas in conversation with La Vanguardia.
In Amor Loco, Aldo has sought the connection with childhood through the prism of the adult gaze, hence we see Heidi, Superman, Mazinger Z and Mickey Mouse: “As a child you played with a plastic stroller and you were extremely happy and When you grow up you buy a Lamborghini that either kills you, ruins you or mortgages you and ends up being part of an existential routine. You will also have a good time with that supercar, but nothing will ever be more powerful than the happiness of childhood. It is a thread between my childhood and my adulthood looking for symbols that made me happy.”
There are bulls in Amor Loco. Aldo is Spanish. Have you succumbed to the cliché to get away with the Yankee client or is his proposal sincere? “Bullfighting for me is the ultimate art because on the same canvas life, death, birth and the end, glory or defeat are shown. It is the democracy of the people: in the bullring, the fate of the bullfighter is guided by a deific, bestial, atrocious entity, such as the bull but also by the people who are there. He causes many sensations, just as art causes. I understand that many people reject it and believe it is barbaric, but there are millions of things more barbaric in this world than bullfighting. It is a reflection of planet Earth and in times of political correctness, of those who are offended, of those who complain, it seems very good to me to continue having this host of reality that bullfighting represents.”
The exhibition has included, among others, designer Elke Klein (who dressed the couple during their week in Miami); the art curator Eduardo Álvarez Renta; Carl Hirschmann, creator of Heaven Sake; the artist Malik Roberts, a representation of the Spanish consulate and Christina Invernizzi, wife of Jordan Belfort, who is played by Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street: “On the last day in Miami I went to deliver some works to his house and imagine for me being sitting in the house of a reference who is as punk as me. The American dream”. A new friendship that opens a promising professional path: “A magic arose between Macarena and Cristina that Macarena is already considering producing a project in collaboration with the US to act together.” Right now, 30 Coins is number 1 in the world on HBO, the series Sagrada Familia can already be seen in the United States and the recently released Deep Fear has climbed to number 5 on Netflix.
“Macarena has never had success go to her head: on the contrary, the more successful she is, the more humble she is. This is an attribute of great people: knowing that true success is only achieved if you understand where your feet are anchored. People who get success to their heads become idiots. I am absolutely hooked on her role in 30 Coins of Her and if I weren’t married to her, I would say the same: she is one of the best actresses the entire world has. Now we go through Miami, New York or Los Angeles and they stop her on the street to ask for photos of her and to congratulate her. Her success has not gone to her head, on the contrary. It is pure happiness that she feels.”
