Eva M. Agüero was born in Caracas, Venezuela, 1991. She uses the materials as symbols to reflect on the ideas of perception and domesticity, using concepts associated with memory and territory. Domestic daily actions conjoin with construction materials to bring about reflections of their influence in our perceptual processes, and how our preconceived notions mold our reality. Agüero has participated in various shows in Venezuela, such as the National Universities art Prize at MACZUL, where she was awarded 2nd place, and the prestigious Youth with FIA Salon (Ibero-American Art Fair), where she received an honorary mention in 2019.
Ideals of progress create spaces of certainty within our daily lives; spaces of perfect predictions. Turn on the faucet and the water runs, turn on the light and the room is illuminated. These predictions are interwoven, not only in domestic spaces, but also in the manufactured natural spaces such as parks and gardens. In my installations, I use simple materials such as felt, plastic trees, aluminum foil, and clay to envision how artificial landscapes might look like in a future where ecosystems are interconnected with technology.
Ubiquitous in most Venezuelan households, I draw inspiration from nativity scenes; a tradition that crosses class categories and invites us to contemplate domestic craftsmanship as evidenced in these ephemeral altars. These manufactured -brown paper landscapes- reference Venezuela’s rich cultural syncretism and also serve as demonstrations of the natural artificiality we encounter in our everyday lives.
Reimagining the construction of social and natural landscapes, as I visualize possible speculative futures, is my way to blend influences of postcolonial Venezuelan social systems with my personal approach to our cultural iconography. Narrative spaces where ecosystems become allegories of social dynamics, and materials transform into a symbolic landscape.
