Opening Reception | Ana María Herrera: Layered Memories | Athenaeum Art Center (Barrio Art Crawl)

ANA MARÍA HERRERA: LAYERED MEMORIES
January 11–March 14, 2025
Opening Reception: Saturday, January 11, 5–8 PM, during the Barrio Art Crawl
Ana María Herrera’s work explores identity, displacement, and cultural coexistence through an intricate blend of found objects and diverse materials, such as wood, glass, metal, and fabric. Her compositions reflect the ephemeral nature of existence, particularly in the border region, where the complexities of migration and cultural negotiation are ever-present. By incorporating photographs, textiles, and three-dimensional elements, Herrera examines the emotional and physical boundaries that shape personal and collective identities, addressing themes of vulnerability, resistance, and resilience within the contemporary sociopolitical landscape.



Herrera engages with layered complexities of human existence, crafting assemblages that challenge traditional notions of representation and foster dialogue about the realities of border life. Using windows and frames as both physical and symbolic elements, Herrera invites viewers to contemplate the tension between visibility and obscurity. These pieces serve as portals into narratives of migration and belonging while subtly addressing issues of surveillance and power dynamics. This exhibition encourages a critical examination of the intersection of culture, history, and memory in the shaping of individual and collective identities in an increasingly interconnected world.



Las obras de Ana María Herrera exploran la identidad, el desplazamiento y la coexistencia cultural a través de una mezcla de objetos encontrados y materiales diversos como la madera, el vidrio, el metal y la tela. Sus composiciones reflejan la naturaleza efímera de la existencia, especialmente en la región fronteriza, donde las complejidades de la migración y la negociación cultural están siempre presentes. Mediante la incorporación de fotografías, tejidos y elementos tridimensionales, Herrera examina los límites emocionales y físicos que conforman las identidades personales y colectivas, abordando temas de vulnerabilidad, resistencia y resiliencia en el panorama sociopolítico contemporáneo.



Al abordar las complejidades de la existencia humana, sus montajes desafían las nociones tradicionales de representación y fomentan el diálogo sobre las realidades de la vida fronteriza. Utilizando ventanas y marcos como elementos físicos y simbólicos, Herrera invita al espectador a contemplar la tensión entre visibilidad y oscuridad. Estas piezas sirven como portales a narrativas de migración y pertenencia, al tiempo que abordan sutilmente cuestiones de vigilancia y dinámicas de poder en los espacios fronterizos. Esta exposición invita a un examen crítico de cómo la cultura, la historia y la memoria se entrecruzan para dar forma a las identidades individuales y colectivas en un mundo cada vez más interconectado.



Ana María Herrera—Artist Statement
In my assemblage art, I draw from the aged and textured materials of the past—pieces like rusted metal chains, weathered wood from light poles, bicycle wheels, pressure gauges, and electrical meters. These objects, marked by time and mystery, serve as silent witnesses to countless stories, histories, and transformations, much like the wisdom of an elder etched by years of experience. I am drawn to their deep tones and weathered surfaces, each item resonating with lives lived and “time stories” I may never fully understand. This uncertainty around their origins only enhances my appreciation, allowing me to create without the constraints of their original purpose and instead invite viewers to interpret their own narratives within these materials.



In each assemblage, I work to honor the age, history, and hidden memories within these objects. Through layering and reimagining, I hope to give them new life, encouraging viewers to look closely, question, and connect with the unseen past that each object holds. Ultimately, my art celebrates the beauty in things long overlooked, encouraging a reverence for the history that surrounds us and inviting curiosity about what once was.