Influenced by her Ecuadorian and Cuban heritage, and shaped by her education and residencies in Paris, Lyon, and Amsterdam, Salazar Rosales blends visual poetry with a dance sensibility. Her method combines conceptual planning with material spontaneity, assembling objects in a frozen choreography.
Sofía Salazar Rosales, Cauliflory will bloom soon (detail), 2022, Installation view of Mantengo la urgencia de reconciliar (Holding the urge to reconcile), Juniin, 2022, Cocoa, polyester resin, fiberglas and sponge packaging, 43 x 280 x 70 cm. Photo: Libbi Ponce. Courtesy of Juniin, Guayaquill and Sofía Salazar Rosales, Paris
Sofía Salazar Rosales, Hay cuerpos cansados por el viaje que buscan enraizarse (There are bodies tired from the journey seeking to root), installation view at BUNGALOW/ChertLüdde, 2022. Photo: Andrea Rossetti. Courtesy of ChertLüdde, Berlin and Sofía Salazar Rosales, Paris
Sofía Salazar Rosales, While the wounds are open (detail), 2024, The desire to dance with someone who is not here, installation view at ChertLüdde, 2024, Glass beads, gauze, padding, paraffin, plaster, iron filings, cardboard, chicken wire, metal, fiberglass, polyester resin and epoxy, 207 x 90 x 282 cm. Photo: Marjorie Brunet Plaza. Courtesy of ChertLüdde, Berlin and Sofía Salazar Rosales, Paris
Sofía Salazar Rosales, Zafra, 2021, Raw cane sugar, fiberglass, wood glue, gelcoat, and resin, Variable dimensions. Courtesy of ChertLüdde, Berlin and Sofía Salazar Rosales, Paris.
As I entered ChertLüdde in Berlin, Germany for Sofía Salazar Rosales’ latest exhibition, The Desire to Dance with Someone Who is Not Here, I felt an immediate sense of anticipation and introspection. This exhibition is more than a collection of artworks; it’s a profound narrative interweaving poetry, dance, and sculpture, reflecting personal and collective themes.
Sofía’s journey began in Ecuador, where the rich cultural traditions of her homeland influenced her artistic vision. “Growing up in Ecuador with an Ecuadorian mother and a Cuban father, I was surrounded by cultural narratives that deeply shaped my art,” Sofía recalls. Her formal education in Paris and Lyon, and a residency at De Ateliers in Amsterdam, honed her distinctive voice. “Each phase of my journey has been crucial in shaping my approach to art,” she notes. Her work is a symphony of visual experiences intertwined with poetic and dance elements. “Poetry blends seamlessly with the visual elements to create a holistic experience,” she explains. Dance, too, is a profound influence, intertwining with concepts of absence and presence, highlighting the dynamic relationship between movement and stillness in her sculptures.
A poignant theme in Sofía’s recent works is the longing to dance with someone who is not physically present, exploring absence and desire. “This theme emerged from a deep personal place, reflecting my own experiences,” she reveals. Her work often reconciles objects, materials, and their histories across different contexts. In an open letter to her sculptures, Sofía ponders: “I entrust you with my past so you may turn experiences into joyful nostalgia, so the place where I lived and the place where I live may reconcile at last.”
Sofía Salazar Rosales, While the wounds are open, 2024, The desire to dance with someone who is not here, installation view at ChertLüdde, 2024, Glass beads, gauze, padding, paraffin, plaster, iron filings, cardboard, chicken wire, metal, fiberglass, polyester resin and epoxy, 207 x 90 x 282 cm. Photo: Andrea Rossetti. Courtesy of ChertLüdde, Berlin and Sofía Salazar Rosales, Paris.
I entrust you with my past so you may turn experiences into joyful nostalgia, so the place where I lived and the place where I live may reconcile at last.
The exhibition at ChertLüdde features installations that are visually striking and emotionally evocative. While the Wounds Are Open (2024), combines various materials to create a hauntingly beautiful installation. “This piece is about vulnerability and the healing process,” she explains. The artwork showcases a complex structure with layers of translucent and opaque materials, creating depth and texture, emphasizing themes of healing and repair. The work also invokes Oshun, an Orisha of the Yoruba religion, associated with love and fertility. Oshun’s presence adds cultural and spiritual significance, intertwining personal and collective histories. Full of Sweetness (y el mappeo del destierro) (2024) is a work that explores themes of displacement and belonging. “This piece reflects my own experiences of displacement,” she shares. The use of paraffin and surgical tape adds a tactile quality, emphasizing the physical and emotional scars of displacement.
Sofía’s choice of materials is deliberate and symbolic, reflecting the themes she explores. In Zafra (2021) she uses raw cane sugar, fiberglass, wood glue, gelcoat, and resin to speak to the historical and cultural connotations of these materials. The title “Zafra” refers to the late summer sugar cane harvest. The panels arranged in a corner resemble the corrugated zinc roofs common in Latin American architecture, with textures that evoke the roughness and resilience of these materials. Her methodological approach balances planning and spontaneity. “I often start with a conceptual framework but allow the materials and process to guide the outcome,” she explains. This results in works that are structured yet fluid, mirroring human experience complexities.
Her work often develops from a sentence: “Hay cuerpos cansados por el viaje que buscan enraizarse” (There are bodies tired from the journey that seek to root). This encapsulates her exploration of displacement and the yearning for belonging and roots, reflecting broader historical and cultural narratives. Sofía’s attention to detail, engagement with materials, and ability to convey emotional experiences contribute to her artistic voice. “Art is about creating connections, weaving together past and present to create something new and meaningful,” she muses. Reflecting on her journey, Sofía acknowledges the influences and experiences that have shaped her work. “Every place I’ve lived, every person I’ve met, has left a mark on my art,” she says. Her art is a testament to this ongoing journey, a tapestry of experiences woven with care and intention.
Sofía Salazar Rosales, The Desire to Dance with Someone Who is Not Here was at ChertLüdde in Berlin, Germany, from 26 April to 24 August 2024.
Noushin Afzali is an Iranian journalist, editor, and translator based in Berlin. Her research focuses on contemporary art and culture, feminist and postcolonial studies. She holds an MA in Cultural Studies and English Literatures.
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