Valeria Divinorum
Valeria at work in her Ridgewood studio.
Valeria Divinorum is a Queens based visual artist and architect with formal training from the school of Architecture in Buenos Aires. She has attended various residencies in Argentina and the U.S. and has created work for a variety of contexts such as galleries, urban spaces, live performances and site-specific installations. She is currently an Adjunct Professor of Computer Art and Urban Studies at La Guardia CC, Queens NY. Recent exhibitions include Paradice Palase (Brooklyn, NY), Rear Vision (Madrid, Spain), Bangkok Biennale (Bangkok, Thailand), The Holocenter, (LIC, NY) and Modern Love (New York, NY). She has created light-based sculptural installations at The Plaxall Gallery (Queens, NY) El Matienzo (Buenos Aires, Argentina), Flux Factory (LIC, NY), The Wassaic Project (Wassaic, NY) and others. In 2013, she started her research in the process of Tiffany technique and the principles of sacred geometry with her mentor, Andres Jacob at Taller Escuela del Sur in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is a member of the collective Salvia Divinorum. Previously, her work has been featured in the NY Post, Stir, 440 Gallery, NY1.com, Under the Bridge Magazine, and others. She has a passion for creating works for the public and with the public, to embrace connectedness and democratize art making for people in our community.
Can you tell us a bit about the process of making your work?
I make stained-glass sculptural objects which I use as a lens to experiment with the intangible properties of light. I have a deep interest in exploring the optical perception of space through traditional and new media techniques. My sculptures are made with beveled, dichroic and iridescent glass sheets; materials that allow me to explore light refraction into different angles and surfaces. When I am in my studio and I start designing my pieces I like to use images from botanical books as inspiration. I usually like to have a palette of different types of glass and make combinations depending on their color effects with light. Video is one part of my practice that also relates to how I work with glass as both deal with light. A lot of my videos are made with glass as a lens to look into and to manipulate light.
What are you working on at the moment?
I am working on a new collection named Natura Sancutaurii which is inspired by the reproductive systems of plants that are used for their healing properties. This new project is going to have 3-dimensional hanging panels and metallic structures that hold each panel. On one of these pieces, I am referencing the 4 seasons through the use of multicolored glass, defining each one by their tones and textures.
The audio in your video speaks to awareness and reality while the video footage is psychedelic and fragmented. Can you both elaborate on this collaboration as well as the experience of collaborating together?
This work came out of a show opportunity that we had and we had never shown something together before. Flavia and I both have backgrounds in architecture and we have interest in the perception of space. We each decided to explore this concept through video and I wanted to focus on a video collage that creates a visually immersive narrative.
Our intention was to generate a common symbolic language decoding information and highlighting the beauty of the basic coincidences of something common, such as plants. If everything is determined by how and what we perceive, understanding the mechanics of perception can contribute to changing our own reality.
What are some references you draw upon in your work? Are there any themes in particular that you like to focus on when creating?
I like to think about creating space with light, playing with the articulation between walls/architecture and intangible space. I find inspiration in symbolism from ancient cultures and like to find new forms relating to the interaction with space. When I started working with glass and metals I was inspired a lot by Olafur Elliason's work and his studies about perception, movement, embodied experience, and feelings of self.
A major theme in my work is the human connection with nature and the organic expressions that emerge from that relationship. In flowers, fractal patterns appear and geometric compositions become apparent. Through these geometric patterns we can witness the perfect balance of life and creation.
Where are some of your favorite spaces that support contemporary art or design?
Do you have any shows coming up or anything else you would like to share?
Yes, I will be showcasing my work at Flux Factory in “The Gift of the Wound,” a group art exhibition curated by Noah Phillips that runs from January 27th to February 8th. Also, ILLUSIONAL a group exhibition curated by Joshua Gabriel at 7 E 14th Street Gallery - Chashma Space, February 13th - March 12th. Opening reception: February 13th 5-9pm.
Valeria Divinorum’s work is included in our show “Eternal Flame,” Jan. 1st – Feb. 28th. Visit her website or Instagram (@valeriadivinorum) to see more of her work.