The seventh installment of NMWA’s Women to Watch exhibition series, New Worlds, is presented by the museum with the integral partnership of our national and international outreach committees.
The exhibition showcases 28 contemporary artists who respond to our extraordinary times—the global pandemic, advocacy for social reform, and political division—by reimagining the past, presenting alternate realities, and inspiring audiences to create different futures. We spoke with some of the participating artists about their featured work and practice.
Artist: Ana María Hernando
Nominating Committee: Colorado Committee
1. What themes does your work in New Worlds address?
As a multidisciplinary artist, my work focuses on the feminine, using empathy to make the invisible visible and to question our preconceptions of the “other,” their worth, and value. Though we are constantly bombarded with urgent, hard-to-hold, awful news, there are small gestures infused with kindness, perseverance, hope, and clarity all around us like waterfalls. However, if we allow ourselves to be buried in sorrow, hopelessness, and disappointment, we can miss them. This is why I want to celebrate these quiet actions, bringing them into the light for us to be nourished by them. The hope of a new world brings renewal to every cell inside me.
A new world is one where nobody is invisible, where our interconnectedness is felt in our bones. In a new world, lies would be diluted by the boldness of those overflowing with generosity, who have committed themselves to the very long view of caring and wisdom, those who set a path forward toward the humbleness of real power.
2. Is this work representative of your oeuvre? How does it fit into your larger body of work?
Textiles have long been part of my art practice. I believe the materials we choose speak about a way of being in the world. Textiles are soft and flexible, and they can hold an immense presence. The power I see in tulle comes from its perseverance and abundance, which is part of the language I use for this work. Working with textiles is also a way of acknowledging the women throughout history and in the present who come together to work, including the Spanish women in my family.
3. As an artist, what are your essential materials and/or tools for building a new world?
My essential materials are all the artworks I make and the words I use. When I make art, I think of building a new world. My art is a part of how I stay honest and connected to what is happening. The ability to share work is essential to establishing conversations. With my work, I want to make space for acknowledging the longing for better things.
4. Did any books, music, film, news, or other art inform your work in this exhibition?
There is nothing specific I can point to because everything that is happening in the world fuels my art. I find myself disappointed by those people in high positions who seem to only take an interest in greed and power. However, I also find hope in the people speaking for change, those who consider every voice. I am inspired by the gestures and kindness in the world. While there are many institutions and systems that want us to believe we are insignificant, I make art to remind us that we are not invisible and that we can have impact and incite people to keep using the voice of their heart.
5. How have the events of the past several years—the global pandemic, increased advocacy for social reform, and striking political division—changed or challenged your practice?
These events have given me hope. They not only acknowledge how fragile we are, but they also embody efforts and movements for change that continue to persevere. Things are changing, even if it is hard to notice because it doesn’t feel fast enough. I have seen changes in institutions and people. There is an awareness that exists now in more people than in the past, and it has changed and challenged me. Although where we are may seem insufficient in the eyes of the future, it feels like a miracle from where we have come from in the past.
6. If you could travel to any time, past or future, where would you go? Why?
I would want to visit indigenous societies like the Inca Empire to experience and learn from their knowledge, understanding how mind, body, soul, and the world are all connected.
New Worlds: Women to Watch 2024 is on view at the National Museum of Women in the Arts from April 14 to August 11, 2024.