Basel 2023

Edge Zones will be presenting three solo shows November 18th, 2023 - January 6th, 2024

Materials, Connections, and Rituals: A Celebration of Cultural Tapestry By Charo Oquet

Step into a world where diverse cultures converge in a harmonious blend, inviting you to immerse in a sanctuary of mystical and sacred expressions.

The exhibition will feature captivating works, collaborative exchanges, and immersive experiences, aiming to transport you into a realm of deep engagement. The curated selection of artworks, delves into the beauty of vernacular aesthetics, the significance of ritual objects, and the allure of kitsch. Prepare to explore a world where ancient beliefs and modern realities coalesce.

Utilizing various mediums and languages, including installation, video, sculpture, and performance, this exhibition is a journey into the neo-shamanistic world entwined with technology. It unravels the intricate connections between spirituality, art, and our contemporary existence.

The showcases channels energy and vitality, bridging the gap between abstraction and myth. Come, explore the multidimensional realm of rituals, witnessing the profound interplay between sacred practices and the world of politics.

A Journey Into the Shadows By Nelson Gutierrez

Based on forced displacement and migration and using tridimensional cutout drawings and different sources of light and shadows, this body of work is an exploration into the practice of drawing, addressing this practice in ways that expand its traditional limits.

Using formal elements of drawing, the 3D works depict walking individuals, which with lights, cast overlapping shadows that create masses of unrecognizable crowds, presenting a flexible, alternative world that can be modified, drawn and redrawn.

A Journey into the Shadows uses Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” as a concept devised by the philosopher to think deeply about the nature of belief versus knowledge. It urges us to look beyond, to see the light, to free ourselves from the darkness, and to help others in this process.

Retoñar-Sprout Again By Elsa María Meléndez

Including a selection of three-dimensional constructions, soft textiles, and large-scale pieces, Retoñar-Sprout Again features nature and the interconnection with

humanity. Material, color, embroidery, form, and format are essential in determining the content of each work and the messages transmitted.

Using textiles as her primary artistic vocabulary, Elsa María Meléndez addresses socio-political issues confronting through metaphorical associations. The docile

and domestic connotations of needlework are recontextualized into a contemporary practice.

Through these pieces, the artist proposes redirecting the gaze to nature as a reference to evolution and celebrating the powers of the natural world.y.