"A Stitch in Time, 2023." (Courtesy of the artist)
"Childhood Memories, 2017/2023–24" - Artist’s mother rug carved into oak floor. (Courtesy of the artist)
"Remains, 2013/2023" - Discarded lettuce, steel, oil board, and UV plexi. (Courtesy of the artist)
CHICAGO — Domestic violence is both a personal and societal issue and spans geographic, cultural and linguistic lines. In her first solo museum exhibition this spring, Chicago-based artist Selva Aparicio will bring these issues to the forefront at
DePaul Art Museum.
“’In Memory Of’ is an emotional exploration of domestic life, shedding light on the complexities of memory, death, intimacy and mourning,” says DePaul Art Museum Curator Ionit Behar, who curated the exhibition. “By exploring the blurred boundaries of public and private in the context of domestic violence, the exhibition provides a poignant perspective by inviting our audiences to reflect on the complexities of domestic life through the eyes of children and women,” Behar adds.
Part of DePaul Art Museum’s ongoing
Learning Studio initiative, “In Memory Of” transcends the confines of traditional art spaces, shaping the first floor of the museum into a domestic setting. Through site-specific installations and sculptures utilizing items from nature, Aparicio invites viewers to contemplate the beauty found in the ephemeral. Aparicio incorporates items from nature into her work, including dandelion seeds, rose petals, lettuce leaves and taxidermy.
“I am interested in working in that space of death and decomposition,” Aparicio says. “Extend that moment, and work with those materials that contain memories, to reflect on them and what they contain. The bottom line is to find that moment between what they want and what I want. It is a kind of collaboration because they are living materials.”
Raised on the outskirts of Barcelona, Spain, Aparicio grew up exploring the ruins of Catalonia, once cherished by the Catalan bourgeoisie, which deeply influenced her artistic journey. The transformation of this land into a refuge for the marginalized fostered Aparicio's early connection with nature and the ephemeral, shaping her profound interest in exploring memory, intimacy and the transitory nature of existence.
“’In Memory Of’ promises to be a thought-provoking and immersive experience that challenges perceptions and prompts reflection,” Behar says.
Aparicio’s accolades include the prestigious Pritzker Pucker Family Foundation’s Artadia Award, the 3Arts HMS Fund Award and the Burke Prize. Currently, Aparicio is working on two outdoor permanent sculpture commissions for Belgium’s Beaufort 2024 Triennale and the Heraclea Archeological Park in Italy, showcasing her global reach and influence in the art world.
Accompanying the exhibition will be a talk with internationally acclaimed author Christina Rivera Garza, a poetry workshop in partnership with the Poetry Foundation, and the first collaboration between DePaul’s
School of Music,
The Theatre School and DePaul Art Museum for a series of performances based on Aparicio’s artworks.
DePaul Art Museum is located at 935 W. Fullerton Ave. and is open from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free. Additional information is
online or by calling 773-325-7506.
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Source:
Ionit Behar
Media Contacts:
Russell Dorn
NaBeela Washington