Franco Mondini-Ruiz’s WindowWorks project, Modern Piñatas features a series of hand-made, Paper Mache replicas of seminal paintings and sculptures from the modernist era. The floating piñatas, modeled after works by artistic greats such as Piet Mondrian, Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, and Jeff Koons, reference the commercialization of popular icons. Through the use of the piñata, Mondini-Ruiz resituates the works in a Latino context, alluding to the cross-cultural appropriation of images. The installation comically combines the gallery atmosphere with a fiesta ambiance to question the reverence of high art. The artist’s use of children’s party accessories, built to be filled with candy and beaten apart with a stick, further the distinction between precious material and everyday object.
