About
Catalina Swinburn’s practice is related to archaeological documentation, national treasures, vintage cartography, literature, classical architecture & music, opera, fine arts, among other discoveries always related to developing research on historical narratives and investigate living traditions. Her practice has been dedicated to searching to evoke what is no longer present; Catalina uses her research on historical narratives using paper weaving as main medium to create sculptures, installations, tapestries and performative investitures from vintage documentation on classical archives.
Catalina Swinburn’s work translates into key messages and universal concerns such as sustainability, identity, gender equality and globalisation, underlining the connections of the Global South throughout history. The use of weaving and vintage documents is a vital and dynamic language for raising awareness both physically and conceptually while aiming to strengthen the integration between various communities in making reference to female resilience. Regenerating these narratives articulates for the artist both a sense of urgency and a mode of resistance. The artwork is therefore activated by the artist’s position as both fabricator and performer of the sculpture. This could be seen as a metaphor for resistance, where woven narratives are portrayed as a substitute for the silence of women throughout history. By using weaving as a metaphor for resistance, her practice brings us closer to our cultural identity and offers an alternative view of the function of art as a vehicle of consciousness by meeting various forms of knowledge, opening a dialogue between conservatism and innovation, between continuity and transmutation.
Catalina works and lives between Buenos Aires, Argentina and London, UK.
