19. Grounded, Arraigada
“Grounded” (translated from the Spanish "Arraigada") is a collection that has emerged from five years of exploration into integrating nature into the digital age through a series of objects and activations. This body of work reflects on our relationship with the primary elements—earth, air, fire, and water—and suggests that to connect meaningfully with our environment, we must first reconnect with our own bodies and the elements that make us whole. This reconnection extends to the ocean we belong to, emphasizing our inherent ties to nature.
Building upon the concept of disenchantment as the end of animism, as discussed by Adorno and Horkheimer in Dialectic of Enlightenment (1947), this collection questions our perception of living ecosystems. It aims to recover an ancestral sense of enchantment within my artistic practice and everyday rituals, fostering a relationship between fiction, art, and science to redefine outdated terms.
In August 2023, I developed the piece “What Has the Landscape Witnessed?” during the Humboldt Residency Programme. This work critiques the extractivist practices of the "global north" imposed on the south, examining their impact on communities and territories. This experience led me to question the limitations of language when imagining future possibilities.
Following this, I participated in a residency at the Wetlab in Hangar in October 2023, where I explored technoscientific narratives from a Latin American perspective. Here, I examined the disenchantment of science and the colonization of knowledge, which catalyzed the development of the “Arraigada” collection. This concept originated from researching both lost and yet-to-be-created metaphors and analogies, aiming to help us navigate our surroundings and expand our perception and forms of expression. How can we imagine a future if our vocabulary is limited?
“Grounded” (translated from the Spanish "Arraigada") is a collection that has emerged from five years of exploration into integrating nature into the digital age through a series of objects and activations. This body of work reflects on our relationship with the primary elements—earth, air, fire, and water—and suggests that to connect meaningfully with our environment, we must first reconnect with our own bodies and the elements that make us whole. This reconnection extends to the ocean we belong to, emphasizing our inherent ties to nature.
Building upon the concept of disenchantment as the end of animism, as discussed by Adorno and Horkheimer in Dialectic of Enlightenment (1947), this collection questions our perception of living ecosystems. It aims to recover an ancestral sense of enchantment within my artistic practice and everyday rituals, fostering a relationship between fiction, art, and science to redefine outdated terms.
In August 2023, I developed the piece “What Has the Landscape Witnessed?” during the Humboldt Residency Programme. This work critiques the extractivist practices of the "global north" imposed on the south, examining their impact on communities and territories. This experience led me to question the limitations of language when imagining future possibilities.
Following this, I participated in a residency at the Wetlab in Hangar in October 2023, where I explored technoscientific narratives from a Latin American perspective. Here, I examined the disenchantment of science and the colonization of knowledge, which catalyzed the development of the “Arraigada” collection. This concept originated from researching both lost and yet-to-be-created metaphors and analogies, aiming to help us navigate our surroundings and expand our perception and forms of expression. How can we imagine a future if our vocabulary is limited?
Currently, I am translating these concepts into tangible forms by creating a collection of objects that incorporate these metaphors into everyday life. This curation is inspired by the profound understanding our ancestors had of the relationship and interdependence between humans and the primary elements: earth, air, fire, and water.
Simultaneously, I integrate this knowledge into my practice and rituals, both at home and in my artwork, where I strive to maintain equilibrium between the elements within and around me. This balance is reflected in the form, function, materiality, and interactions of each piece.
Today, my concerns about the climate crisis focus on the mechanisms of dissociation and disembodiment, and the consequences these processes have created in our attempts to reconnect with "nature."
This investigation began with the Humboldt Residency Programme 2023: Our Precious Resources in Berlin and continued with further research at the Humedal Wetlab Residency Programme at Hangar in Barcelona.
(On going) Series:
i. Espiral, glass sculpture designed to orientate the growth of the roots of the plant.
ii. Flotar, speculative drinking glass which forces you to slow down.
iii. El Aire Permite Abrir Espacio, iron support, with motorized
Simultaneously, I integrate this knowledge into my practice and rituals, both at home and in my artwork, where I strive to maintain equilibrium between the elements within and around me. This balance is reflected in the form, function, materiality, and interactions of each piece.
Today, my concerns about the climate crisis focus on the mechanisms of dissociation and disembodiment, and the consequences these processes have created in our attempts to reconnect with "nature."
This investigation began with the Humboldt Residency Programme 2023: Our Precious Resources in Berlin and continued with further research at the Humedal Wetlab Residency Programme at Hangar in Barcelona.
(On going) Series:
i. Espiral, glass sculpture designed to orientate the growth of the roots of the plant.
ii. Flotar, speculative drinking glass which forces you to slow down.
iii. El Aire Permite Abrir Espacio, iron support, with motorized
disembodied petals.
iv. Hasta el Fuego Mismo Necesita Respirar, stainless steel corner shelf.
v. Encuentros Húmedos, WIP
i. To Be a Pebble in a Stream, WIP
iv. Hasta el Fuego Mismo Necesita Respirar, stainless steel corner shelf.
v. Encuentros Húmedos, WIP
i. To Be a Pebble in a Stream, WIP