Ocupante Interview by Tim Goossens

OCUPANTE


Interview with / mit Grimanesa Amorós


TG: Tell me about the genesis of OCUPANTE. I believe it was a project were working on already. Its conception for this location – in Germany – seems like such important timing. What is your thought and work process for a project like this – from idea to the practical execution?

GA: OCUPANTE was inspired by Koblenz, a city in Rhineland-Palatinate at the ‘German Corner’ (Deutsches Eck), where the Moselle joins the Rhine river. At this location, there are three parts of the Berlin Wall. This place is now dedicated ‘to the victims of the division’.

As economic globalisation is being embraced and celebrated by many countries around the world, there are countries that support immigration, instead of devising methods to prevent immigrants from crossing these newly ‘open borders’. It has been repeatedly proven throughout history that borders prevent assimilations between people and cultures, landing to an enormous social inequality and a remarkable imbalance of political power.

Syrians are currently being forced to leave their homes. They have been trying to find new lives in countries all over Europe. Germany has been helping refugees seek their dreams of security and safety for themselves and their families. Although many have escaped the oppression and violence, sadly, some have not. Many did not reach European shores, but the ones that did became an OCUPANTE of a physical space that they could claim as their own…

My goal with this installation is to take the viewer on a trip through different physical spaces throughout the museum. The objective is to create a space where the viewers become the OCUPANTE of their own physical and metaphysical realities. It is time for all of us to present the world a new image, a contemporary image of progress and culture, beyond being a dormitory of angst.

An image of creativity and actuality. An image of a dynamic and progressive place where it is not only consumed but created. A living creature is one that creates and enhances creativity.

TG: You are a true collaborator in all your projects all over the world. How has this practical need to involve others in your work changed in the course of your career? What have been the challenges and how do you balance the role of artist-as-creator with your role as artist-as-manager?

GA: Every piece I do is site-specific; each project is always a new challenge in its own way. Installations are heavily dependent on the site conditions and location of the artwork, as they play a big part in the planning and engineering processes. I work with my team to develop a proposal with detailed plans outlining the necessary structures to house and install LEDs, electrical hardware, domes and equipment specific to each project…planning ahead is crucial! This even includes the packing and unpacking process of the artwork. But over time with experience, it becomes seamless. You truly get accustomed to balancing the roles of being the artist-as-creator and the artist-as-manager when the project demands you to be both all the time. In the beginning it was stressful but then I started to enjoy the whole process from beginning to end.

TG: You yourself have immigrated to the USA. Do you feel your Latin heritage plays a part in your work? And how do new technologies push your work and the process ahead?

GA: I live in New York, but grew up in Lima, Peru. My experience of living in Pesru is one of the key components to the conceptual basis of my artwork. When I was younger, I remember vividly the interactions between the unique landscapes and natural light of my home country. In the process of translating this into my artwork, I convey to the world the experiences and emotions encountered in Peru as a child, but my creativity is not limited to this background. Additionally, I am to represent the beauty that can be seen through the diversity of the many cultures around the world and the physical realities they live in. When people look at tone of my light sculptures, I want to make them think and create their own stories.

TG: Which dream project have you not yet been able to realise?

GA: Deserts have always struck a chord within me ever since childhood. The coast of Peru is primarily desert, where I used to always roll in the sand and slide down the many dunes. The allure of the vibrant yet seamless earthen colour and textures of the sand creates a unity that is unseen anywhere else, even translating into the nearby architecture. I am looking forward to an opportunity in future to visit the deserts of Qatar, where I can make this dream become reality.

Read More:
Surface and Rhythm in Grimanesa Amorós’ Work by Andreas Backoefer
Ocupante Essay by Beate Reifenscheid