Sandra Vásquez de la Horra: The Awake Volcanoes: Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Santiago, Chile
As part of the MNBA's international program aimed at strengthening the Latin American art scene and highlighting Chilean artists through solo exhibitions, Sandra Vásquez de la Horra: The Awakened Volcanoes is presented . Organized by the Denver Art Museum (DAM), this exhibition of the Chilean artist based in Germany is funded by the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage, through the Executive Secretariat of Visual Arts. The exhibition traces the career of Vásquez de la Horra, recognized for her participation in the 59th Venice Biennale (2022) and for receiving the Käthe Kollwitz Prize in 2023.
After its run at the Denver Art Museum(between April and July 2024) curated by Raphael Fonseca (DAM), the exhibition brings together nearly 190 works, including drawings, paintings and prints that reflect the richness and versatility of Vásquez de la Horra's artistic practice; who develops visual narratives that combine autobiographical, symbolic and mythological elements, exploring themes such as identity, memory and the dreamlike.
“We are incredibly proud to welcome Sandra Vásquez de la Horra with the exhibition *The Awakened Volcanoes *, made possible through an international partnership that we have championed as a core programmatic focus of the Museum. We are confident that presenting Sandra at the MNBA, a Chilean artist with a distinguished international career, will generate great interest among our broad and diverse audiences. This exhibition is part of our ongoing effort to recognize the work and careers of artists from the diaspora in Chile. In 2023, we presented the major retrospective * Dreaming of Water* by Cecilia Vicuña, which later traveled to Buenos Aires and São Paulo. This year, we are highlighting Eugenia Vargas-Pereira with an exhibition recently opened in Chillán, her hometown, after its presentation at the MNBA. We hope that * The Awakened Volcanoes* will be an opportunity for different generations to be captivated by the creative universe of a leading figure in contemporary art,” says Varinia Brodsky Zimmermann, Director of the National Museum of Fine Arts.
From her early drawings, influenced by her Chilean roots, Vásquez de la Horra has developed a unique style, using paper not only as a surface for her drawings but as a sculptural element in itself. Her works, created with graphite pencil, watercolor, or beeswax immersion treatments and folded in the manner of a leporello , explore themes such as spirituality, folklore, and mythology, incorporating female figures that transform into surreal landscapes, mountains, and volcanoes.
"I've always been obsessed with the North and nomadism, with that precarious world that has accompanied me since I was young. I remember reading Cecilia Vicuña's books and how they influenced my work, guiding me towards a search for lightness, for what doesn't weigh me down. My roots are also very present: my great-grandmother was from Antofagasta, my grandfather from Santa Cruz, Bolivia. My childhood was marked by the Chilean landscape, the mountains, and by experiences like attending the Higuerillas Festival, with its mix of pagan and religious traditions, masks, and devil dances. At seven years old, I visited Rapa Nui, and at 17, Brazil. Both were formative journeys that profoundly enriched my South American imagination," recounts Sandra Vásquez de la Horra.
For his part, Denver Art Museum curator Raphael Fonseca points out: “Drawing is a fundamental aspect of her practice, as it is a flexible and dynamic medium that remains essential for the creation of contemporary art. Sandra Vásquez de la Horra’s artwork often includes symbols from different cultures shaped by her roots in Chile, the imprint of her family history with the mythologies of indigenous peoples, and European colonial rule in Central and South America.”
After its run at the MNBA, the exhibition will travel to the MALBA in Buenos Aires (April to July 2025) and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, USA (September 2025 to January 2026). *Dates are subject to change.
Photo by Cristián Rojas – Cosmovisiones
