HYBRID was conceived by Maria Palomino, the heteronym I use to embody my Mexican identity.
By Maria Palomino (Monique Allain), Hybrid, 2014, Installation with a “hybrid” plate (10 ½ diameter) and 11 pellets (less than 1” each) resulting from the burning of clay, inlaid porcelain shards and enamel.
The piece was specially created for the exhibition “Sabores da América do Sul: Festival América do Sul” (“Flavors of South America: South America Festival”), in 2014 at SESC, Corumbá, Brazil. The proposal consisted of producing an artwork that reflected the artist's Latin American origin, from a white porcelain plate provided by the curator.
I broke the porcelain plate, made a clay one and embedded the porcelain shards in it. I also embedded the smaller fragments in little, independent ceramic pellets. I used oxide pigment for ceramics in the margins between the two materials, in order to strengthen the points of union between porcelain and ceramic.
Hybridization between American (South, Central and North American) native people and European colonizers were marked by tensions, accidents, fissures, cracks, and transformations. Different natures, habits and values totally foreign to each other were confronted. The experiment of merging these two different materials, porcelain and clay, arose from the desire to experience and reify the process of immigration and colonization.
The fragility of the resulting piece is a natural consequence of an experimental and risky initiative. At first, the proposal consisted of presenting as work what would result from the burning, whatever this result would be. And a surprise came. These distinct materials face, repel, attract each other, and constitute a hybrid single piece, with cracks and scars, but rich, unique and superb in its dignity and vulnerability.
The dish was fixed to the wall, at the height of the horizon (average height of an adult's gaze). The pellets were scattered on the floor under the plate.
After being displayed, during transport for return, the piece unfortunately broke. It seemed to me necessary to incorporate the event into the work. The broken piece and the little pellets were photographed and a digital image was produced and printed on tiles to compose the panel "Hybrid".
Maria Palomino (Monique Allain), Hybrid Panel, 2016, Panel of printed tiles on a wood frame, 25” x 37” (22.6 pounds).
The panel was presented in the following exhibitions:
2022 – LOCAL PROJECT ART SPACE (Long Island City Artists) - I am from – Long Island City, NY.
2016 – HEMEROTECA DA BIBLIOTECA MÁRIO DE ANDRADE – México Imaginário: um livro aberto – Solo exhibition - São Paulo.
The image of the tile panel was conceived for the artist book IMAGINARY MEXICO. The book was printed and exhibited in the following exhibitions:
2016 - HEMEROTECA DA BIBLIOTECA MÁRIO DE ANDRADE - Vitrine da ABER: México Imaginário: um livro aberto – Solo exhibition - São Paulo.
2016 - CASA DAS ROSA – Página viva! - São Paulo.
2016 - MUSEU DE ARTE DO RIO GRANDE DO SUL (MARGS) - Página viva! - Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Click here and see the online version.
