Tierra desnuda, cielo desnudo is about the potential for poetic interpretation inherent in translation. Translation constantly takes place in Mercedes Azpilicueta’s practice: the literal translations of words; the translation of ideas into material and vice versa; and in Göttingen, the works’ translation into an exhibition context. The exhibition’s Spanish title Tierra desnuda, cielo desnudo translates to “naked earth, naked sky”. Earth and sky, the corporeal and the cerebral, are denuded, rendered vulnerable, left open for translation. The artist’s practice of translation takes place in the space between, all the while serving a uniting function in the process. Between artist and object, between object and viewer, between material and meaning, between earth and sky, between body and mind.

Mercedes Azpilicueta’s solo exhibition at Kunstverein Göttingen lays bare just how subjective language, history, stories and objects are. The artist is not judgemental or critical of things like inherent bias. She rather gently unveils the uneven distribution of power that often accompanies this subjectivity, translating it into unusual material combinations and forms that are a little bit off. The exhibition combines such works with other ostensibly more poetic compositions by the artist. The juxtaposition is not meant to be jarring, rather decentralising of interpretation. The artist’s installations encompass the whole space, dispelling any preconceived distinction between art and exhibition design. Architectural elements mingle with airy freestanding and hanging sculptures made of re-purposed objects and materials that hold personal stories and socio-cultural histories within them. 

Curated by Sarah Crowe and Alke Heykes.

Mercedes Azpilicueta is a visual and performance artist from Buenos Aires living and working in Amsterdam. She was an artist in residence at the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten, Amsterdam in 2015-16, and received the Pernod Ricard Fellowship in 2017. Solo exhibitions include Lumen Travo Gallery, Amsterdam (2023); Sammlung Philara, Düsseldorf (2022/23); Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein (2022); NoguerasBlanchard, Madrid (2022); Gasworks, London (2021); CAC Brétigny, Brétigny-sur-Orge (2021); Museion, Bolzano/Bozen (2020); Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven (2019); CentroCentro, Madrid (2019); and MAMBA, Buenos Aires (2018). Her work is also currently on view at Fries Museum, Leeuwarden, Netherlands. Azpilicueta was nominated for the Prix de Rome in 2021.

The exhibition will take place at the Altes Rathaus in cooperation with the City of Göttingen’s Fachdienst Kultur. We thank our funding partners: Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kunst, LEAP, AKB Stiftung, Stadt Göttingen, Landschaftsverband Südniedersachsen e.V and Sparkasse Göttingen.