Marcela Astorga

Mendoza, Argentina, 1965

            Marcela Astorga always had a natural inclination towards art. From an early age, she dedicated herself to exploring the relationship between the human being and their environment, using skin as a metaphor for identity and connection with the world around us. Her work is characterized by deep introspection and a constant exploration of trauma and human experience. Through a variety of media, such as objects, installations, photographs, actions, videos, and collages, Astorga constructs a poetics that invites the viewer to reflect on the existence of the body and its relationship with the environment.

            The omnipresence of the Andes, the peaks and the lowlands, the light and the shadow, the thaw and the rivers, the contrasts and the gradations nourish her work. Also present are the abuse of power and the desire for a more equitable reality. One of the distinctive features of her work is the use of unusual materials, such as horsehair, leather, and bristles, which evoke tactile sensations and awaken the sensory perception of the viewer. Her works provoke a visceral experience, which can be uncomfortable but at the same time revealing, inviting the observer to become aware of the present moment and their own existence.

            Her work is part of the collections of the Museum of Modern Art of Buenos Aires, the Museum of Contemporary Art of Rosario, the Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation in Miami, and The Zabludowicz Collection in London, among others; and she has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions. In 2015, she published, together with Zavaleta Lab, the book-object "Marcela Astorga. Espacio Habitado."