Read the full text by Alexia Tala here
On October 17, from 7 PM to 10 PM, Vermelho will inaugurate Elemental Shift, Ximena Garrido-Lecca’s first solo exhibition at the gallery.
Ximena Garrido-Lecca was born in Lima in 1980 and lives and works between Mexico City and Lima.
In her practice, Garrido-Lecca employs a variety of materials and symbolic languages that focus on highlighting the tensions between ancestral knowledge and colonial structures.
Using historical references, she traces cycles of cultural, social, and economic transformation, as well as power relations around the changes in the use of natural resources. Her work addresses the relationships between nature and culture while questioning traditional knowledge hierarchies.
Her work is included in museum and institutional collections such as Tate Modern (London), MALBA (Buenos Aires), Kadist (San Francisco), Perez Art Museum (Miami), Boros Collection (Berlin), Frac de Pays de la Loire (Nantes), Coppel Collection (Mexico City), and Saatchi Collection (London).
Among her institutional solo exhibitions are the 34th São Paulo Biennial (2021); Proyecto AMIL, Lima (2019); MALBA, Buenos Aires (2017).
In Elemental Shift, Ximena Garrido-Lecca examines some of the issues and concepts that touch on different forms of nature’s adaptation, its resilience, and the complex relationship between belief systems and the exploitation of natural resources in the context of colonialism.
Her works articulate playful interactions between ancestral mythologies and scientific technologies, suggesting different paths for regeneration and symbiosis (such as mutualism, commensalism, parasitism, and competition) within history and sociopolitical dynamics.
Garrido-Lecca envisions a future where it would be possible to incorporate various forms of ancestral knowledge, learning from nature and reconfiguring relationships based on respect and coexistence.
Garrido-Lecca states: “Nature is in a process of perpetual adaptation, and we are only witnessing a small fraction of it. Within such a broad context, it becomes clear that contemporary ecological issues are not isolated concerns: whether urban or rural, artificial or natural, they are intricately interconnected. This interconnection inspires us to reconsider the complex relationships between living beings, worldviews, and knowledge systems, and how they affect nature’s adaptive flow.”
Read the full text by Alexia Tala here
On October 17, from 7 PM to 10 PM, Vermelho will inaugurate Elemental Shift, Ximena Garrido-Lecca’s first solo exhibition at the gallery.
Ximena Garrido-Lecca was born in Lima in 1980 and lives and works between Mexico City and Lima.
In her practice, Garrido-Lecca employs a variety of materials and symbolic languages that focus on highlighting the tensions between ancestral knowledge and colonial structures.
Using historical references, she traces cycles of cultural, social, and economic transformation, as well as power relations around the changes in the use of natural resources. Her work addresses the relationships between nature and culture while questioning traditional knowledge hierarchies.
Her work is included in museum and institutional collections such as Tate Modern (London), MALBA (Buenos Aires), Kadist (San Francisco), Perez Art Museum (Miami), Boros Collection (Berlin), Frac de Pays de la Loire (Nantes), Coppel Collection (Mexico City), and Saatchi Collection (London).
Among her institutional solo exhibitions are the 34th São Paulo Biennial (2021); Proyecto AMIL, Lima (2019); MALBA, Buenos Aires (2017).
In Elemental Shift, Ximena Garrido-Lecca examines some of the issues and concepts that touch on different forms of nature’s adaptation, its resilience, and the complex relationship between belief systems and the exploitation of natural resources in the context of colonialism.
Her works articulate playful interactions between ancestral mythologies and scientific technologies, suggesting different paths for regeneration and symbiosis (such as mutualism, commensalism, parasitism, and competition) within history and sociopolitical dynamics.
Garrido-Lecca envisions a future where it would be possible to incorporate various forms of ancestral knowledge, learning from nature and reconfiguring relationships based on respect and coexistence.
Garrido-Lecca states: “Nature is in a process of perpetual adaptation, and we are only witnessing a small fraction of it. Within such a broad context, it becomes clear that contemporary ecological issues are not isolated concerns: whether urban or rural, artificial or natural, they are intricately interconnected. This interconnection inspires us to reconsider the complex relationships between living beings, worldviews, and knowledge systems, and how they affect nature’s adaptive flow.”
A group of migrating bird nests from the crested oropendola – or crested cacique – species, hangs from a dead tree branch. The nests are made of copper wires and serve as receiving antennas that capture nearby signals, creating white noise in the space. Oropendolas are native to Central and South America and are known for their long, pendulous nests made from woven plant fibers.
A team from the University of Oldenburg (Germany) found that electromagnetic noise from antennas alters the internal compass orientation of migratory birds, affecting their movement. Thus, the work plays with the idea of a parasitic symbiotic relationship between humans and birds: an antenna-nest both shelters and repels, negatively influencing the birds’ natural cycle and affecting their ability to migrate and develop freely.
236 x 140 x 110 cm (aprox)
Tree branches, recycled copper, steel, radio receiver
Photo VermelhoA group of migrating bird nests from the crested oropendola – or crested cacique – species, hangs from a dead tree branch. The nests are made of copper wires and serve as receiving antennas that capture nearby signals, creating white noise in the space. Oropendolas are native to Central and South America and are known for their long, pendulous nests made from woven plant fibers.
A team from the University of Oldenburg (Germany) found that electromagnetic noise from antennas alters the internal compass orientation of migratory birds, affecting their movement. Thus, the work plays with the idea of a parasitic symbiotic relationship between humans and birds: an antenna-nest both shelters and repels, negatively influencing the birds’ natural cycle and affecting their ability to migrate and develop freely.
Each piece in the “Disecciones” series looks like a precise, machine-cut fragment of an ancient technology. They are parts of an obsolete construction method that uses the very ground that will support the building as the material for its composition. The pieces appear to have been taken from a historical site and are displayed like artifacts in an anthropological museum.
80 x 5 x 11 cm
Mud, straw, stainless steel
Photo VermelhoEach piece in the “Disecciones” series looks like a precise, machine-cut fragment of an ancient technology. They are parts of an obsolete construction method that uses the very ground that will support the building as the material for its composition. The pieces appear to have been taken from a historical site and are displayed like artifacts in an anthropological museum.
Three stones carved with rounded carved receptacles emulate mirrors used for astrological observations in pre-Hispanic times. The shapes are filled with water, where floating magnetized needles rest, functioning as compasses that point to the South. It is said that pre-Columbian sages made the stars descend from the sky by reflecting them in water mirrors.
Navigation has used constellations and stars as references for centuries. The invention of the compass is a pivotal milestone in the history of navigation and exploration. Invented in China around the 2nd century BC, they consisted of a magnetized needles placed on floating trays, allowing them to rotate freely, using Earth’s magnetism. Initially, compasses pointed South, as in Chinese tradition, the North was associated with cold and death. In contrast, the South was beautiful and blessed, as warmth and life came from there. When introduced to Europe in the 13th century, the compass was adjusted to point North.
While the sky was a place of philosophical contemplation in ancient times, European mobilizations for territorial domination used this source of knowledge as tools for exercising political power and conquest. The presence of the compass in the installation, pointing South, becomes a marker for the revaluation of pre-colonial customs and knowledge, and a symbol of resilience in a world dominated by the West.
variable dimensions
Carved stones, water, cork and magnetized iron
Photo VermelhoThree stones carved with rounded carved receptacles emulate mirrors used for astrological observations in pre-Hispanic times. The shapes are filled with water, where floating magnetized needles rest, functioning as compasses that point to the South. It is said that pre-Columbian sages made the stars descend from the sky by reflecting them in water mirrors.
Navigation has used constellations and stars as references for centuries. The invention of the compass is a pivotal milestone in the history of navigation and exploration. Invented in China around the 2nd century BC, they consisted of a magnetized needles placed on floating trays, allowing them to rotate freely, using Earth’s magnetism. Initially, compasses pointed South, as in Chinese tradition, the North was associated with cold and death. In contrast, the South was beautiful and blessed, as warmth and life came from there. When introduced to Europe in the 13th century, the compass was adjusted to point North.
While the sky was a place of philosophical contemplation in ancient times, European mobilizations for territorial domination used this source of knowledge as tools for exercising political power and conquest. The presence of the compass in the installation, pointing South, becomes a marker for the revaluation of pre-colonial customs and knowledge, and a symbol of resilience in a world dominated by the West.
Three stones carved with rounded carved receptacles emulate mirrors used for astrological observations in pre-Hispanic times. The shapes are filled with water, where floating magnetized needles rest, functioning as compasses that point to the South. It is said that pre-Columbian sages made the stars descend from the sky by reflecting them in water mirrors.
Navigation has used constellations and stars as references for centuries. The invention of the compass is a pivotal milestone in the history of navigation and exploration. Invented in China around the 2nd century BC, they consisted of a magnetized needles placed on floating trays, allowing them to rotate freely, using Earth’s magnetism. Initially, compasses pointed South, as in Chinese tradition, the North was associated with cold and death. In contrast, the South was beautiful and blessed, as warmth and life came from there. When introduced to Europe in the 13th century, the compass was adjusted to point North.
While the sky was a place of philosophical contemplation in ancient times, European mobilizations for territorial domination used this source of knowledge as tools for exercising political power and conquest. The presence of the compass in the installation, pointing South, becomes a marker for the revaluation of pre-colonial customs and knowledge, and a symbol of resilience in a world dominated by the West.
35 x 52 x 39 cm
Carved stones, water, cork and magnetized iron
Photo VermelhoThree stones carved with rounded carved receptacles emulate mirrors used for astrological observations in pre-Hispanic times. The shapes are filled with water, where floating magnetized needles rest, functioning as compasses that point to the South. It is said that pre-Columbian sages made the stars descend from the sky by reflecting them in water mirrors.
Navigation has used constellations and stars as references for centuries. The invention of the compass is a pivotal milestone in the history of navigation and exploration. Invented in China around the 2nd century BC, they consisted of a magnetized needles placed on floating trays, allowing them to rotate freely, using Earth’s magnetism. Initially, compasses pointed South, as in Chinese tradition, the North was associated with cold and death. In contrast, the South was beautiful and blessed, as warmth and life came from there. When introduced to Europe in the 13th century, the compass was adjusted to point North.
While the sky was a place of philosophical contemplation in ancient times, European mobilizations for territorial domination used this source of knowledge as tools for exercising political power and conquest. The presence of the compass in the installation, pointing South, becomes a marker for the revaluation of pre-colonial customs and knowledge, and a symbol of resilience in a world dominated by the West.
Three stones carved with rounded carved receptacles emulate mirrors used for astrological observations in pre-Hispanic times. The shapes are filled with water, where floating magnetized needles rest, functioning as compasses that point to the South. It is said that pre-Columbian sages made the stars descend from the sky by reflecting them in water mirrors.
Navigation has used constellations and stars as references for centuries. The invention of the compass is a pivotal milestone in the history of navigation and exploration. Invented in China around the 2nd century BC, they consisted of a magnetized needles placed on floating trays, allowing them to rotate freely, using Earth’s magnetism. Initially, compasses pointed South, as in Chinese tradition, the North was associated with cold and death. In contrast, the South was beautiful and blessed, as warmth and life came from there. When introduced to Europe in the 13th century, the compass was adjusted to point North.
While the sky was a place of philosophical contemplation in ancient times, European mobilizations for territorial domination used this source of knowledge as tools for exercising political power and conquest. The presence of the compass in the installation, pointing South, becomes a marker for the revaluation of pre-colonial customs and knowledge, and a symbol of resilience in a world dominated by the West.
26 x 58 x 40 cm
Carved stones, water, cork and magnetized iron
Photo VermelhoThree stones carved with rounded carved receptacles emulate mirrors used for astrological observations in pre-Hispanic times. The shapes are filled with water, where floating magnetized needles rest, functioning as compasses that point to the South. It is said that pre-Columbian sages made the stars descend from the sky by reflecting them in water mirrors.
Navigation has used constellations and stars as references for centuries. The invention of the compass is a pivotal milestone in the history of navigation and exploration. Invented in China around the 2nd century BC, they consisted of a magnetized needles placed on floating trays, allowing them to rotate freely, using Earth’s magnetism. Initially, compasses pointed South, as in Chinese tradition, the North was associated with cold and death. In contrast, the South was beautiful and blessed, as warmth and life came from there. When introduced to Europe in the 13th century, the compass was adjusted to point North.
While the sky was a place of philosophical contemplation in ancient times, European mobilizations for territorial domination used this source of knowledge as tools for exercising political power and conquest. The presence of the compass in the installation, pointing South, becomes a marker for the revaluation of pre-colonial customs and knowledge, and a symbol of resilience in a world dominated by the West.
Three stones carved with rounded carved receptacles emulate mirrors used for astrological observations in pre-Hispanic times. The shapes are filled with water, where floating magnetized needles rest, functioning as compasses that point to the South. It is said that pre-Columbian sages made the stars descend from the sky by reflecting them in water mirrors.
Navigation has used constellations and stars as references for centuries. The invention of the compass is a pivotal milestone in the history of navigation and exploration. Invented in China around the 2nd century BC, they consisted of a magnetized needles placed on floating trays, allowing them to rotate freely, using Earth’s magnetism. Initially, compasses pointed South, as in Chinese tradition, the North was associated with cold and death. In contrast, the South was beautiful and blessed, as warmth and life came from there. When introduced to Europe in the 13th century, the compass was adjusted to point North.
While the sky was a place of philosophical contemplation in ancient times, European mobilizations for territorial domination used this source of knowledge as tools for exercising political power and conquest. The presence of the compass in the installation, pointing South, becomes a marker for the revaluation of pre-colonial customs and knowledge, and a symbol of resilience in a world dominated by the West.
27 x 48 x 49 cm
Carved stones, water, cork and magnetized iron
Photo VermelhoThree stones carved with rounded carved receptacles emulate mirrors used for astrological observations in pre-Hispanic times. The shapes are filled with water, where floating magnetized needles rest, functioning as compasses that point to the South. It is said that pre-Columbian sages made the stars descend from the sky by reflecting them in water mirrors.
Navigation has used constellations and stars as references for centuries. The invention of the compass is a pivotal milestone in the history of navigation and exploration. Invented in China around the 2nd century BC, they consisted of a magnetized needles placed on floating trays, allowing them to rotate freely, using Earth’s magnetism. Initially, compasses pointed South, as in Chinese tradition, the North was associated with cold and death. In contrast, the South was beautiful and blessed, as warmth and life came from there. When introduced to Europe in the 13th century, the compass was adjusted to point North.
While the sky was a place of philosophical contemplation in ancient times, European mobilizations for territorial domination used this source of knowledge as tools for exercising political power and conquest. The presence of the compass in the installation, pointing South, becomes a marker for the revaluation of pre-colonial customs and knowledge, and a symbol of resilience in a world dominated by the West.
Different parts of a tree trunk are suspended and supported by steel beams, resembling structures used to display archaeological architectural ruins, signaling a future where sacred trees are exhibited as extinct artifacts.
In many ancient cultures, trees represent the connection between the earthly realm, the underworld, and the heavens. Positioned at the center of the universe, they served as a channel of communication between gods and humans. Their trunks represented the earthly realm, and their branches, stretching toward the heavens, symbolized the afterlife. In Mayan mythology, certain species of trees symbolize the interconnection of the universe and the spiritual world, where nature and the divine are deeply intertwined. It was believed that the gods created the world around trees, which were considered the cosmic axis around which the universe revolved.
448 x 89 x 83 cm + 207 x 74 x 151 cm
Tree trunks and steel beams
Photo Filipe BerndtDifferent parts of a tree trunk are suspended and supported by steel beams, resembling structures used to display archaeological architectural ruins, signaling a future where sacred trees are exhibited as extinct artifacts.
In many ancient cultures, trees represent the connection between the earthly realm, the underworld, and the heavens. Positioned at the center of the universe, they served as a channel of communication between gods and humans. Their trunks represented the earthly realm, and their branches, stretching toward the heavens, symbolized the afterlife. In Mayan mythology, certain species of trees symbolize the interconnection of the universe and the spiritual world, where nature and the divine are deeply intertwined. It was believed that the gods created the world around trees, which were considered the cosmic axis around which the universe revolved.
The work questions extractivism in opposition to the production of traditional handmade pieces. The work comments on the increasing demand for metals such as steel, valued by industry at the expense of environmental and cultural preservation.
58 x 50 cm
Stainless steel rope
Photo VermelhoThe work questions extractivism in opposition to the production of traditional handmade pieces. The work comments on the increasing demand for metals such as steel, valued by industry at the expense of environmental and cultural preservation.
The work confronts two objects: a digger bucket used in excavations and a quartz sphere. While the digger devours the earth, the quartz sphere becomes a talisman that restores balance to the exploited land.
Quartz has been used in Peru for ceremonial and ritual purposes since pre-Columbian times. The crystals were highly valued for their clarity and brilliance. Various pre-Hispanic cultures believed in their mystical properties, associating them with concepts of purity, light, and divine power. Additionally, quartz crystals were sometimes included in burial sites or temple structures, reinforcing their significance in spiritual and ceremonial contexts.
Today, in different cultures, quartz is still believed to have healing properties in various spiritual practices, absorbing, regulating, and amplifying energy.
65 x 83 x 46 cm
Excavator bucket and quartz sphere
Photo VermelhoThe work confronts two objects: a digger bucket used in excavations and a quartz sphere. While the digger devours the earth, the quartz sphere becomes a talisman that restores balance to the exploited land.
Quartz has been used in Peru for ceremonial and ritual purposes since pre-Columbian times. The crystals were highly valued for their clarity and brilliance. Various pre-Hispanic cultures believed in their mystical properties, associating them with concepts of purity, light, and divine power. Additionally, quartz crystals were sometimes included in burial sites or temple structures, reinforcing their significance in spiritual and ceremonial contexts.
Today, in different cultures, quartz is still believed to have healing properties in various spiritual practices, absorbing, regulating, and amplifying energy.
The work confronts two objects: a digger bucket used in excavations and a quartz sphere. While the digger devours the earth, the quartz sphere becomes a talisman that restores balance to the exploited land.
Quartz has been used in Peru for ceremonial and ritual purposes since pre-Columbian times. The crystals were highly valued for their clarity and brilliance. Various pre-Hispanic cultures believed in their mystical properties, associating them with concepts of purity, light, and divine power. Additionally, quartz crystals were sometimes included in burial sites or temple structures, reinforcing their significance in spiritual and ceremonial contexts.
Today, in different cultures, quartz is still believed to have healing properties in various spiritual practices, absorbing, regulating, and amplifying energy.
65 x 83 x 46 cm
Excavator bucket and quartz sphere
Photo VermelhoThe work confronts two objects: a digger bucket used in excavations and a quartz sphere. While the digger devours the earth, the quartz sphere becomes a talisman that restores balance to the exploited land.
Quartz has been used in Peru for ceremonial and ritual purposes since pre-Columbian times. The crystals were highly valued for their clarity and brilliance. Various pre-Hispanic cultures believed in their mystical properties, associating them with concepts of purity, light, and divine power. Additionally, quartz crystals were sometimes included in burial sites or temple structures, reinforcing their significance in spiritual and ceremonial contexts.
Today, in different cultures, quartz is still believed to have healing properties in various spiritual practices, absorbing, regulating, and amplifying energy.
Each piece in the “Disecciones” series looks like a precise, machine-cut fragment of an ancient technology. They are parts of an obsolete construction method that uses the very ground that will support the building as the material for its composition. The pieces appear to have been taken from a historical site and are displayed like artifacts in an anthropological museum.
2015 - 2024
Mud, straw, stainless steel
Photo VermelhoEach piece in the “Disecciones” series looks like a precise, machine-cut fragment of an ancient technology. They are parts of an obsolete construction method that uses the very ground that will support the building as the material for its composition. The pieces appear to have been taken from a historical site and are displayed like artifacts in an anthropological museum.
The works in this series mix hand-made wool, cotton, and palm fiber ropes, intertwined with copper strips. The pieces are based on early computer systems, technologies that, in their initial stages, utilized artisanal and manual techniques in their fabrication.
Weaving practices significantly influenced the origins of information storage in computers, and women played a crucial role in the development of these technologies.
The works aim to subvert notions of the patriarchal origins of knowledge, as well as the universal bias towards the supremacy of Western knowledge, which rejects other forms of understanding and relating to the world, highlighting the influence of textiles on the development of science.
176 x 120 cm
Copper, wool, cotton and palm fibre
Photo courtesy of artistThe works in this series mix hand-made wool, cotton, and palm fiber ropes, intertwined with copper strips. The pieces are based on early computer systems, technologies that, in their initial stages, utilized artisanal and manual techniques in their fabrication.
Weaving practices significantly influenced the origins of information storage in computers, and women played a crucial role in the development of these technologies.
The works aim to subvert notions of the patriarchal origins of knowledge, as well as the universal bias towards the supremacy of Western knowledge, which rejects other forms of understanding and relating to the world, highlighting the influence of textiles on the development of science.
The video, recorded during Peru’s Independence Day celebrations in the city of Cotambambas, in the Apurímac district, depicts a group of people dancing hand in hand. In celebration, the people form circles and stomp on the ground, causing the earth to rise.
With the sound of a running engine in the background, the video highlights the duality between tradition and the threat of an accelerated modernization project.
5’15”
HD video. Color and sound
Photo video stillThe video, recorded during Peru’s Independence Day celebrations in the city of Cotambambas, in the Apurímac district, depicts a group of people dancing hand in hand. In celebration, the people form circles and stomp on the ground, causing the earth to rise.
With the sound of a running engine in the background, the video highlights the duality between tradition and the threat of an accelerated modernization project.
Inflexions of Air is an installation composed of a series of rubber air chambers, partially covered by braided bamboo and reed fibers. These natural weavings limit the expansion of the chambers, creating distorted shapes when they are inflated and deflated by air from a compressor, resembling a breathing motion.
The work draws inspiration from displacements driven by the search for new territories, highlighting colonial interests in resource exploitation—such as rubber—and the economic asymmetries within the dynamics of neoliberalism and its systems of dependence that perpetuate the predatory extraction of natural resources.
Additionally, the use of air—an essential element for life—serves as a metaphor to address contemporary ecological challenges, such as pollution and environmental devastation in the context of extractivism.
variable dimensions
Rubber inner tubes for tires, compressor, palm, banana fibre, jute, reed, rubber straps, ceramic, volcanic stone, obsidian sphere, gourd, copper, shell, seeds, pipes and air
Photo Filipe BerndtInflexions of Air is an installation composed of a series of rubber air chambers, partially covered by braided bamboo and reed fibers. These natural weavings limit the expansion of the chambers, creating distorted shapes when they are inflated and deflated by air from a compressor, resembling a breathing motion.
The work draws inspiration from displacements driven by the search for new territories, highlighting colonial interests in resource exploitation—such as rubber—and the economic asymmetries within the dynamics of neoliberalism and its systems of dependence that perpetuate the predatory extraction of natural resources.
Additionally, the use of air—an essential element for life—serves as a metaphor to address contemporary ecological challenges, such as pollution and environmental devastation in the context of extractivism.
With Ximena Garrido-Lecca and Felipe Melo
Photo VermelhoWith Ximena Garrido-Lecca and Henrique Oliveira
With Ximena Garrido-Lecca
Photo Vermelho