Interview: Monica Aguilar
Luca Curci talks with Monica Aguilar during ALCHEMIC BODY 2021, at ArtFix, during ROME INTERNATIONAL ART FAIR 2021, at Medina Art Gallery, and during VENICE INTERNATIONAL ART FAIR – 14TH EDITION, at THE ROOM Contemporary Art Space and at Misericordia Archives.

I am an audiovisual artist, filmmaker and producer. In the last year, I dedicated myself more to the cinema, like casting director, producer and assistant director for documentaries, films, video clips, commercials, etc. and artistic-cultural projects, like festivals and theatre production, logistics and operation, with participation in different award-winning projects and cultural recognition. I have had less formal participation as a visual artist, although I remain active in creating and collaborating in projections like VJ in events in Tulum, México, and private presentations. In recent years I resumed the path of art as a way of life; I create more works, specialize and look for spaces where I can enrich myself, share, learn, collaborate… keep my interest. I live in Rotterdam, Netherlands. I have studied music production for a year and in this project, I include my first musical creation.

Luca Curci – What is art for you?
Monica Aguilar – It is an expression of creative energy and myself, it’s the way I can have a dialogue with my higher self, to connect and give me the awareness of my surrounding.

LC – What are you currently working on?
MA – My background spans across different forms of expressions that are complementary, from drawing to painting, from analog photography to digital cinema, and it all involves video. I have also started to experiment with new technologies like NFT. In my professional life, I spent the last 12 years in cinema and cultural-artistic projects.

LC – Where do you find your inspiration?
MA – In Fine Arts, in nature, within myself, contemplating nature, dancing, just being present and aware, and breathing deeply.

LC – Which art themes do you pursue?
MA – I am interested in topics such as the evolution of consciousness, ancient philosophies, nature, fashion, new technologies.

LC – What is your preferred subject, if there is any?
MA – I am working on discovering new sounds and ways to communicate using the tools I learned during my entire life. I am very interested in creating audiovisual experiences to reflect about our own selves and life, to create moments of art and provoke the vibration of the senses, to share good vibes…

LC – Did your style change over the years? In which way?
MA – It evolved over time, sometimes I decided to choose different tools, styles and in other instances life put me on different paths, to live different kinds of experiences that enriched my life, and the way to express and observe my own reality and then traduce or transmute my feelings into art.

LC – Do you agree with our vision of art and what do you think about the theme of the exhibition?
MA – I find the themes proposed very interesting. This project has not been created for this specific theme, but it fits well. The alchemy is a theme that is part of the creative process, of the creative energy that is transmuted, in this case through the artist, who undergoes a transformation and creates a narrative of growth.

LC – What is the message linked to the artwork you have shown in this event?
MA – To become aware of our energetic body, of the contact with our higher selves, to share my experience of transformation, to understand the dimensions as states of consciousness, to stop for a moment and reflect on how much balance there is in our lives, in these moments we need to go back to see what’s inside of us, in order to really see and value the outside, becoming aware of our higher self, observing it, integrating it… individually and collectively.

LC – How is it connected to the theme of the entire exhibition?
MA – Alchemic Body, Earth, Fire, Air and Water. The integration of the being implies the fusion of the five elements: earth, fire, air, water, ether (ākāśa), according to the Hindu tradition, or the quintessence for the Greek culture. This detonates a transformation or alchemy of the being, since it integrates the opposites, creating an evolutionary balance in several dimensions or state of consciousness. Chi kung activates, travels and connects with a deep human energetic system. The toroidal geometric shape that I propose in this piece reflects the implosive and explosive energy of our electromagnetic field. “The toroid is like the breath of the Universe, it is the form that the energy current takes at any level of existence” (Nassim Haramein).

LC – What do you think about ITSLIQUID Platform?
MA – It is a platform to support emerging artists that has a very interesting international scope, the curatorship seems very broad to me and it is a way of making the artist’s feelings and work visible.

LC – What do you think about the organization of our event?
MA – I think it is very well organized and the team is always very friendly. I appreciate that you chose my work to be shown in your exhibitions.

LC – What are your suggestions about our services?
MA – Everything seems very good. If I could suggest something that would be more promotion on social media about the openings, and to be able to receive the printed programs of the exhibition.

LC – Is there something more we can provide to artists?
MA – Create strategic alliances with institutions, foundations and companies to help artists and to be able to finance some type of support, through the creation of a supportive environment that stimulates the production of future artistic projects and emerging artists.