Artist Sallisa Rosa will unveil a new ceramic installation titled Topography of Memory at the Collins Park Rotunda in Miami Beach from 5 – 17 December 2023 followed by an extended presentation at the Pinacoteca de São Paulo from 16 March – 28 July 2024. The installation will be comprised of over 70 hand-made ceramic forms assembled from collected clay, including delicate spheres suspended in the air and stalagmite totems rising from the earth, together forming an environment for visitors to explore. The work has been commissioned by Audemars Piguet Contemporary, with the brand’s in-house curatorial team working closely with guest curator Thiago de Paula Souza to support Rosa’s vision and creation of the commission.
Sallisa Rosa (b. 1986, Goiânia, Brazil) is a multimedia artist working across photography, video, performance and installations. Her work explores human connection to the earth and, in consideration of her indigenous heritage, builds on traditional knowledge-exploring practices aimed at participation and knowledge sharing. In her production, Rosa is interested in collaborating with communities and frequently uses collected clay as a material with a unique connection to the land and oral tradition. Most recently working in Rio de Janeiro, Rosa has newly relocated to Amsterdam to attend the Rijksakademie artist residency.
Topography of Memory marks the artist’s first solo exhibition in the U.S. and will be her first installation made entirely of ceramics. This immersive work will explore themes of memory, in particular, how memory can be reprogrammed. Rosa, like many Brazilians of her generation, faces questions and confusion in trying to piece together her own ancestry. With this commission, Rosa’s aim is to explore our collective ways of remembering, drawing a connection between the erosion of the earth and the erosion of memory. Her use of collected clay in recognition of traditional knowledge and the preservation of non-industrial ways of working is important to the commission—as she believes ceramics have a symbolic capacity to store memory, which can help us remember. Topography of Memory will occupy the Collins Park Rotunda adjacent to the Bass Museum in Miami Beach. When it travels to São Paulo, the commission will be exhibited in the Pinacoteca’s recently completed contemporary art wing, Pina Contemporânea.
Audemars Piguet Contemporary worked closely alongside independent curator Thiago de Paula Souza in the realisation of Topography of Memory, supporting Rosa in this evolution of her artistic practice. De Paula Souza, who is originally from São Paulo and is currently based in Gothenburg, has curated numerous international exhibitions and brings extensive knowledge of Brazil’s contemporary art landscape. His collaboration with Audemars Piguet Contemporary on Rosa’s commission highlights the programme’s ongoing mission to support artists at various stages of their careers in research, expertise, and artistic production, encouraging dialogue with global audiences.
“Topography of Memory marks the first time I’ve worked with ceramics at such scale. Memory gives us an idea of who we are—and collected clay is a material that activates memory. I hope the commission will be an opportunity for audiences to reflect on their own memories and personal histories. I’m grateful for the fruitful collaboration with Thiago and Audemars Piguet Contemporary throughout the development of the work.”
Sallisa Rosa
“With Topography of Memory, Sallisa creates with material from the earth in order to explore how memory can be reprogrammed. Her work taps into collective histories that are important to transmit and build upon. It has been a wonderful experience to work in tandem with Audemars Piguet Contemporary to support Sallisa’s next steps as an artist.”
Thiago de Paula Souza – Guest Curator
“We are proud to present Sallisa’s work in two unique contexts over the coming year in both Miami Beach and in São Paulo. Her work is at once personal and universally relevant—the topics of memory and belonging being ones that persons of all backgrounds can connect to. The commission is certain to inspire visitors as they reflect on their connection to the earth and our shared histories.”
Denis Pernet – Art Curator, Audemars Piguet Contemporary
About Sallisa Rosa
Sallisa Rosa (b. 1986, Goiânia, Brazil) lives and works in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She is currently based in Amsterdam, attending the Rijksakademie artist residency. She had her first solo exhibition at Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro in 2021. Her work has been included in group exhibitions at SNAP, Shanghai (2023); Visual Arts Center, Texas (2022); Théâtre de L’Usine, Geneva (2022); Royal Academy of Arts, London (2021); Paço das Artes, São Paulo (2021); Frestas – Trienal de Artes, Sorocaba (2020/21); Anya and Andrew Shiva Gallery, New York (2020); Museu de Arte do Rio, Rio de Janeiro (2020, 2017); Museu de Arte de São Paulo (2022, 2020, 2019); Banco do Brasil Centro Cultural, Rio de Janeiro (2019); and Barro de Caruaru Bienal (2019); among others. Rosa was nominated for the PIPA prize (2022, 2020) and is a recipient of the Prince Claus Fund Seed Award (2021).
About Thiago de Paula Souza
Thiago de Paula Souza is a curator and educator interested in stretching and re-elaborating the exhibition format as well as in contemporary art and education’s ability to rethink the past and produce new ethical codes. His practice intersects different configurations of knowledge and power that enable contradictions building infrastructures to imagine a world where violence is no longer its foundation. In 2022 he co-curated While We Are Embattled, at Para Site, HK and Atos de revolta (Acts of revolt), at MAM- Rio. Between 2020 and 2021 he was part of the curatorial team of the 3rd edition of Frestas—Triennial of Arts, São Paulo organized by Sesc-SP. In 2018/2019 he was a fellow at the Post-academic Program at BAK in Utrecht, where he also curated Tony Cokes first solo exhibition in the country. He was a member of the curatorial team of We Don’t Need Another Hero – 10th Berlin Biennale (2018) and, more recently, was a curatorial advisor for the 58th Carnegie International (2021/2022). He is currently a PhD researcher at HDK-Valand at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden and co-curator of Vleeshal – Center for Contemporary Art´s Nomadic program.
About the Pinacoteca de São Paulo
The Pinacoteca de São Paulo is a visual arts museum with an emphasis on Brazilian production from the 19th century to contemporary times and in dialogue with the cultures of the world. The oldest art museum in the city, founded in 1905 by the Government of the State of São Paulo, has been holding shows of its renowned collection of Brazilian art and temporary exhibitions of national and international artists. Pinacoteca also prepares and presents multidisciplinary public projects, in addition to hosting a comprehensive and inclusive educational program, with programming in the museum’s three buildings: Pina Luz, Pina Estação and Pina Contemporânea.
About Audemars Piguet Contemporary
Audemars Piguet believes that creativity feeds culture, connects people and gives purpose to our lives.
Audemars Piguet Contemporary, the brand’s dedicated art programme, embodies this spirit by commissioning international artists to create contemporary artworks. The resulting artworks belong to the artists and contribute to their body of work. With the support of two in-house curators, new commissions are realised across a variety of scales and media, enabling artists to explore new territories in their practice. The team follows each carte blanche commission process from inception to exhibition. The nomadic programme fosters collaborations with cultural institutions around the world to present commissions to global audiences.
Each Audemars Piguet Contemporary commissioned artwork is as an opportunity for new creation, bringing together audiences and broadening horizons, as well as leading to a better understanding within and between individuals.
Since 2012, Audemars Piguet Contemporary have commissioned over 20 international artists including Andreas Angelidakis, Meriem Bennani, Aleksandra Domanović, Cao Fei, Petrit Halilaj & Álvaro Urbano, Ryoji Ikeda, Yu Ji, Alexandra Pirici, Tomás Saraceno, Jana Winderen and Sun Xun. Commissioned artworks have been presented worldwide at major venues spanning Asia (Art Basel, Hong Kong; UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing), Europe (180 The Strand, London; Ars Electronica, Linz; Art Basel, Basel; Espace Niemeyer, Paris; House of Electronic Arts, Basel; the International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, Venice; Ocean Space, Venice; Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg; MAXXI, Rome; Palais de Tokyo, Paris), and the Americas (Art Basel, Miami; the High Line, New York; Times Square Arts, New York). – audemarspiguet.com/com/en/about/audemars-piguet-contemporary.html
About Audemars Piguet
Audemars Piguet is the oldest fine watchmaking manufacturer still in the hands of its founding families (Audemars and Piguet). Based in Le Brassus since 1875, the company has nurtured generations of talented craftspeople who have continuously developed new skills and techniques, broadening their savoir-faire to set rule-breaking trends. In the Vallée de Joux, at the heart of the Swiss Jura, Audemars Piguet has created numerous masterpieces, testament to the Manufacture’s ancestral savoir-faire and forward-thinking spirit. By pushing the boundaries of what is possible and building bridges between different creative worlds, Audemars Piguet has been able to explore new horizons and build an inspired community. Seek Beyond. — www.audemarspiguet.com