2020 is on its way out of our collective memory, though not without fully overhauling life as we’ve known it. At The CAMP, we kicked the year off by starting from scratch, adding new and wildly talented artists to our darling roster (i.e., making loads of new friends), partnering with FAMA for a 40-artist exhibition, leaving our Little River home and setting up shop in North Miami, and even the launch of a brand-new virtual gallery with the help of Emperia, UK.
Which made us curious—how has the unruly intensity of the new decade impacted those we work closest with?
In the spirit of growth and community, we bring you The CAMP’s 2020 Roundup, a small interview series featuring reflections from our CAMP and CAMP Spotlight artists.
Silvana Soriano. Abraço de Urso (Bear Hug), 2020. Collage on paper. 18 x 12 in.
Brasilian visual artist Silvana Soriano is one of 2020’s additions to the CAMP roster, creating collages that are just as much pastiches of texture and color as the source inspiration she pulls from. Working within narratives, she aims to present audiences with pieces with an imaginative and recognizable poeticism that is both physical and personal. “It can be said that my work is a record of a precise moment that alludes to the poetry of the mind and the connotations that it takes on the body,” Soriano states. Her body of work is made up of vibrant and cheeky collages, prints, and paintings that evoke intimacy, understanding, and the importance of paying attention to which stories are being told.
If you’re interested in all things Silvana Soriano, you can also check out CAMP Creative Mario Rodriguez’ conversation with the artist herself, filmed back in October in honor of 40 Women Pulling at the Threads of Social Discourse.
2020 has been a difficult and often tumultuous year - how has it affected you and your artwork?
Although was a bizarre year, for me it has been a very productive year and, I feel very blessed that even with or maybe because of the covid problem I was more in touch with other artists and participating in different projects than I used to be on the normal times. I think that since the virus limited us, we create new ways to overcome it. Is like you lost a sense and you develop deeper another one.
What has been the biggest hurdle you have had to deal with since March of this year?
It was the fact that I could travel to Brazil to see my son and my parents. This was really difficult for me. The trip to Brazil works as an emotional replenishment, which generates a lot of positive energy for me.
Have you noticed any changes in your work?
Yes, I feel more emotional and driven by a sense of urgency and I can see this in the themes of some works that I created.
Have you noticed any changes in how people react and or engage with your work now that they can see it mainly online?
Yes, especially with the work We (are) the People. The comments on Instagram were excellent! This work was also chosen by the Miami Herald in a report, and by Artsy, who featured it on their Instagram. After that, I am seeing more people through there.
What has been the best thing that has happened this year?
Having started working with the gallery. I can see that the type of relationship established by The CAMP with artists is very supportive, and stimulates the creation and development of projects.
Has anything surprised you this year?
Yes, I received a message from a musician in Turkey asking about old jobs that I did 20 years ago. He was developing a project about George Bataille and eroticism and saw my woodcuts about it. Now, we are doing a project with two more artists, one in the Netherlands and the other in Turkey also on this topic. I am very excited to work with them.
Silvana Soriano. We (are) the People, 2020. Mixed media on canvas: alpaca wool, canvas, acrylic paint, permanent marker, clothing. 40 x 60 in.
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What inspires you currently? Do you see this changing?
Social engagement is something that is driving me these days. Collaborative projects, too.
Is there anything (exhibition, event, travel, etc.) that you had to forego this year that ended up working out beautifully?
The trip to Brazil that I could not go on—it ended up giving me time to do the work for [40 Women Pulling at the Threads of Social Discourse] at The CAMP.
In the same vein, is there anything that quarantine/isolation has inspired you to start doing or practicing?
Yes, meditation every single day. Read more. I also started work on a project with immigrant women.
How does your process differ now that we’re all spending less time out “in the world” and more time with ourselves?
I'm feeling more productive, more attentive to the little things. I notice subtle changes about the path I take every day, that kind of thing.
How do you see this moment in time affecting the bigger industry in the long-term?
Yes, I think that the way people work will change for good.
Do you have any New Year’s Resolutions?
No, I have a "this moment" resolution: continue to produce a lot, be connected, see connection around me, and be happy with all that I have!
Silvana Soriano. Mar de Rosas (Bed of Roses), 2020. Collage on paper. 12 x 18 in.
