MATER ET DOMVS
Artist Book: Archival Pigment Print, Box
10 x 10 inches / 25.5 x 25.5 cm
2023
MATER ET DOMVS is an artist book capturing the raw essence of the diaspora through Miguel's journey. From the turn of the millennium to the establishment of his home, the work unveils the intricate decisions and challenges an individual faces when seeking a place in the world. Each chapter represents a station in Miguel's journey, from the initial uncertainty to the consolidation of his identity in ever-changing locations. The story unfolds like a magical act, where detentions and echoes of names intertwine with the symphony of time and memory. The transformation of a simple keychain into a monumental portrait through a spell of brushstrokes symbolizes adaptability and resilience in the face of adversity. The maternal image becomes a sanctuary, a beacon amidst the diaspora, providing a sense of belonging in each new home. "Mater et Domus" invites viewers to explore the complexity of home-building in the migrant experience, offering a raw and realistic perspective on the challenges and triumphs of those seeking a place to belong in an ever-changing world
EXHIBITIONS
UN HOGAR EN LA DIASPORA
Curated by Andrea Pacheco
Felipa Manuela, Madrid, Spain
Dec 14 - 16, 2023
In the same rhythm as the tides, soil erosion, or the thaw that occurs in the mountains each spring, human displacements are one of the many natural phenomena that cyclically take place on the planet over centuries. The reason that leads large groups of people to leave their place of origin remains the same from the Paleolithic to today: to preserve life. However, a mysterious and unbreakable thread keeps us connected, wherever we are, to the place where we were born. And as Avtar Brah (1996) asks: "When does a place of residence become 'home'?"
Drawing on the thoughts of Chicana writer Gloria Anzaldúa and her own biography, French philosopher Nadia Yala Kisukidi (2020) asserts that inhabiting the diaspora is dwelling on a border between two territories that do not necessarily share their geopolitical boundaries: "Landscapes overlap and merge in the inner life of the individual. This is how life in the diaspora becomes territorialized."
In 2023, Felipa Manuela opens a space for reflection, exchange, and creation around the ways in which life becomes territorialized in the diaspora. The program will bring together a group of artists, writers, curators, and researchers whose lives and work are crossed by migratory processes, inviting us to think together about the paths that lead to homing the place we inhabit. Participants in the residencies, readings, and public activities include: Alex Aguirre (Ecuador, 1973), An Wei (España, 1990), Edison Peñafiel (Ecuador, 1985), Guinho Nascimento (Brasil, (1989), Jessica Figueroa Neikoleo (Chile, 1982), Jeannette Tineo (República Dominicana, 1973), Nouha Ben Yebdri (Marruecos, 1989), Sandra Gamarra (Perú, 1972), Valeria Montti Colque (Suecia, 1978), Rocío Quillahuaman (Perú, 1994), Safia El Aaddam (España, 1995), Youssef El Maimouni (Marruecos, 1981).
Artistic Direction: Andrea Pacheco González, Coordination: Ana Lozano Sinausía, Assistance: Karim Khourrou, Image: Luis Vasallo.
This project was made possible with the support of the Grants for Contemporary Creation Spaces from the City Council of Madrid.