Retrato de un Hombre y una Mujer

Retrato de un Hombre y una Mujer (Portrait of a Man and a Woman) invites visitors to explore the intersection of traditional and contemporary gender identities, reflecting how creative processes navigate these seemingly opposing realms. The exhibition presents works by 21 national and international artists who approach the portrait in diverse ways: performative pieces denouncing violence, textile and painted works exploring memory, and photography questioning self-perception and how others perceive us. Literary portraits add a poetic layer, deepening themes of vulnerability, connection, and identity. The exhibition challenges audiences to reflect on the complexity of human existence and the evolving nature of self-definition.

Nadja Verena Marcin contributes her video work La Mujer, a performance exploring vulnerability and courage. Premiered in 2014 at the Goethe-Center in Santa Cruz, the piece pays tribute to victims of femicide, inspired by a tragic event in Bolivia’s Chapare region. In the performance, Marcin balances on a 15-foot-high plank, reciting Elfriede Jelinek’s Death and the Maiden II, before leaping into the arms of a female sculpture marked with symbolic “bloody” spots—a moment to confront fear and embrace the power of being.

The exhibition was curated by Rocio Chuquimia. Featured artists include Cecilia Rejtman (Peru), Marcela Villagrán (Argentina), Nadia Callaú (Bolivia), Nadja Verena Marcin (Germany), Paty Wolf (Brazil), Roxana Seijas (Argentina), Ximena Patiño (Bolivia), and many others.