audemars piguet commissions sallisa rosa for ceramic landscape at miami art week

SALLISA ROSA’S LARGE-SCALE CERAMIC INSTALLATION AT MIAMI ART WEEK

On the occasion of Miami Art Week 2023, artist Sallisa Rosa introduces her inaugural solo presentation in the U.S. with the unveiling of Topography of Memory, a large-scale ceramic installation at the Collins Park Rotunda in Miami Beach. Comprising over 100 meticulously crafted ceramic forms from locally sourced clay, the installation offers visitors an immersive environment for exploration. Commissioned by Audemars Piguet Contemporary, the brand’s in-house curatorial team collaborates with guest curator Thiago de Paula Souza to bring Rosa’s vision to life. The exhibit runs until December 17, 2023.

Following its Miami debut, Topography of Memory is scheduled for display at the Pinacoteca de São Paulo from March 16 to July 28, 2024. This marks a historic occasion as Audemars Piguet Contemporary presents its first commission exhibition in Brazil.

Topography of Memory is exhibited during Miami Art Week | all images courtesy of the artist and Audemars Piguet

The Symbolism Behind Topography of Memory

Topography of Memory by Sallisa Rosal (find more here) forms an immersive landscape designed to engage viewers physically and contemplatively. The floor sculptures, resembling stalagmites, create a cave-like atmosphere, while the hanging spherical sculptures evoke a planetarium, all clad in amber light and mist. The medium, clay collected by hand from Rio de Janeiro’s surroundings, undergoes an 800 degrees Celsius kiln firing in an underground pit, providing a tangible connection to the earth.

Rosa’s artistic process encourages visitors to reevaluate their relationship with memory, land, and the environment as cultural and identity-rich spaces. Through this commission, Rosa explores the collective aspects of memory, drawing parallels between earth erosion and the erosion of memory. The use of collected clay, steeped in traditional significance, is pivotal as ceramics symbolically store memory, aiding in remembrance.

‘Topography of Memory is an immersive installation in which the earth takes center stage. The earth is the place of memory. While shaping the clay, I encoded memories into each piece, turning them into extracorporeal memories. People can move through the work, and my intention is that this movement will activate collective memory,’ shares Sallisa Rosa.

the installation is madee of over 100 meticulously crafted ceramic forms from locally sourced clay

A Brazilian Artist’s Exploration with Audemars Piguet

As a Brazilian navigating her ancestry’s complexities, Rosa finds inspiration in her grandmother’s diminishing recollections, weaving them into Topography of Memory. Spanning photography, video, performance, and installations, Rosa’s art explores the human-earth connection, reflecting her commitment to collaborative community engagement.

Audemars Piguet Contemporary, in collaboration with curator Thiago de Paula Souza, played a pivotal role in realizing Topography of Memory, fostering Rosa’s artistic evolution. De Paula Souza, with a rich background in Brazil’s contemporary art scene, emphasizes the program’s commitment to supporting artists at different career stages, promoting global dialogue.

‘It has been a wonderful experience to collaborate with Sallisa and Thiago on this commission. Audemars Piguet Contemporary is proud to support this milestone in her practice and to share this work with the cultural community gathered in Miami. We are excited for the public to experience the installation and be transported by the equally beautiful and emotionally-charged landscape that Sallisa has created,’ mentions Denis Pernet Art Curator, Audemars Piguet Contemporary.

Topography of Memory forms an immersive landscape designed to engage viewers physically and contemplatively