During these unsettled times, art allows us to reflect on and confront sociopolitical uncertainties through close looking at objects. Doris Salcedo’s sculpture "Untitled (2004–5)," recalling a worn, simple chair, marks the absence of countless victims lost to political violence in Colombia’s civil war. In this talk, curator Mary Schneider Enriquez examines Salcedo’s work and considers how an everyday object speaks to the power wielded by those whose victims remain silent.

This talk is part of Power Dynamics: Exploring Intersections of Art & Power, a series investigating power dynamics in artworks across the collections. Considering intersections of art and power, our curatorial team discuss how artists engage with social and political crises, use art to upset systems of power, and imagine more equitable futures.

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK:

+ Exhibition—“Doris Salcedo: The Materiality of Mourning”: harvardartmuseums.org/salcedo.

+ Doris Salcedo, “Untitled,” 2004–5. Stainless steel. Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John Cowles, by exchange, 2010.573. © Doris Salcedo. hvrd.art/o/337096.

+ Doris Salcedo, “A Flor de Piel,” 2013. Rose petals and thread. Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Gift of Mr. G. David Thompson, in memory of his son, G. David Thompson, Jr., Class of 1958, by exchange; purchase through the generosity of Elaine Levin in honor of Mary Schneider Enriquez; and purchase through the generosity of Deborah and Martin Hale, 2014.133. © Doris Salcedo. Photo: Joerg Lohse; courtesy of the artist and Alexander and Bonin, New York, and White Cube, London. hvrd.art/o/351354.

+ Watch series of videos and interviews for Doris Salcedo: The Materiality of Mourning.
+ Film—“Doris Salcedo’s Public Works" (2015) from the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago: youtube.com/watch?v=xdt2vZ9YpwE

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Speaker:
Mary Schneider Enriquez, Houghton Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art

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All works discussed: © Doris Salcedo.

Recorded Thursday, December 3, 2020. © President and Fellows of Harvard College. Video: Mary Schneider Enriquez. For questions related to permission for commercial use of this video, please contact the Department of Digital Imaging and Visual Resources at [email protected]

Renowned Bogotá-based artist Doris Salcedo explains how her art speaks to a worldwide condition of political violence, and why it is important for her to work from the position of the unknown; she is joined by Mary Schneider Enriquez, the Houghton Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Harvard Art Museums.

Works by Salcedo are showcased in the special exhibition “Doris Salcedo: The Materiality of Mourning” (November 4, 2016–April 9, 2017) at the Harvard Art Museums.

harvardartmuseums.org/exhibitions/5201/doris-salcedo-the-materiality-of-mourning

Mary Schneider Enriquez, Houghton Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Harvard Art Museums, discusses the works of renowned Bogotá-based artist Doris Salcedo (Colombian, b. 1958), which were included in the special exhibition "Doris Salcedo: The Materiality of Mourning." Pieces such as her famous "A Flor de Piel" were particularly timely, given the political climate in Colombia and around the world in 2016.

Doris Salcedo is best known for her sculptures and public installations that respond to the testimonies of survivors and victims of political violence.

"Doris Salcedo: The Materiality of Mourning" was on display November 4, 2016–April 9, 2017 at the Harvard Art Museums.

harvardartmuseums.org/exhibitions/5201/doris-salcedo-the-materiality-of-mourning

Mary Schneider Enriquez, the Houghton Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Harvard Art Museums, discusses the special exhibition "Doris Salcedo: The Materiality of Mourning" (November 4, 2016–April 9, 2017). In this segment, Schneider Enriquez discusses the significance of the exhibition title and how it relates to the works on view.

harvardartmuseums.org/exhibitions/5201/doris-salcedo-the-materiality-of-mourning

Mary Schneider Enriquez, the Houghton Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Harvard Art Museums, discusses the special exhibition "Doris Salcedo: The Materiality of Mourning" (November 4, 2016–April 9, 2017). In this segment, Schneider Enriquez focuses on the challenges that Salcedo poses to the materials she uses and to the traditions of sculpture as a medium.

harvardartmuseums.org/exhibitions/5201/doris-salcedo-the-materiality-of-mourning