This work is part of a body of work called
RE-CORDIS, which will be exhibited at the Embassy of Peru in Ecuador in 2025.
In 1989, Eduardo Galeano reflected on the act of remembering, exploring its origin in the Latin root "RE-CORDIS." The word "remember" evokes the action of thought that passes through and returns to the heart, reawakening perceptions, nostalgia, and visions of the past. In this sense, remembering is an act of rediscovering that which had been set aside.
In this piece, Diego Pinos explores the forms and colors of Latin American modernist languages, reinterpreting them through his contemporary vision. He establishes a visual dialogue with the work of renowned Peruvian artist Fernando de Szyszlo, blending modernist languages within the context of contemporary painting, while, like Szyszlo, delving into ancestral roots.
In this particular work, Diego draws inspiration from the pre-Columbian figure Venus de Valdivia, an anthropomorphic representation found in various forms within the Valdivia culture on the Ecuadorian coast.
The clay and mud figurines of the Venus de Valdivia exhibit a wide diversity in the representation of the female body, evoking meanings related to the cycles of life, fertility, and the connection between the feminine and Mother Earth. They also suggest the hypothesis of a matriarchal society or one deeply devoted to the power of women.
The work Venus, part of the RE-CORDIS series, reinterprets the symbolism and meanings of the Valdivia culture figurines, proposing bridges and new readings of the contemporary female figure through the lens of memory.
