Client: Vatican Museums for the 56th Venice Biennale, 2015

Overview

Arche-Types, the sense of the word beyond sense (2015) was commissioned by the Vatican Pavilion for the 2015 Venice Biennale, the installation draws on the first verses of John’s Gospel, “In The beginning there was the word,” and also from Zaum, which is an experimental poetic language developed by Russian Futurist poets that is characterized by indeterminacy in meaning. 

An abstract interpretation of the Gospel in classic, cryptic Greek appears on monitors and floating glass supported by six colorful wooden panels, presenting text as form. This creates a non-narrative visual interplay where images of landscapes are combined with slow moving animations that quote Kazimir Malevich, a Russian Suprematist artist. In his manifesto, he declares: “Under Suprematism I understand the primacy of pure feeling in creative art. To the Suprematist, the visual phenomena of the objective world are, in themselves, meaningless; the significant thing is feeling, as such, quite apart from the environment in which it is called forth.” Through Arche-Types, Bravo aims to create space for giving meaning to the “Word” beyond language, exploring how we interpret the texts apart from their religious aspect and defying the idea that the sublime can only be reached through text.  

Goals

Commission for the Vatican Pavillion of the Venice Biennale in 2015.

Process

𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻’𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗸, 𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗹𝗼𝘄-𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀. 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝟲 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀, 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗳 𝗔𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝘂𝗵𝗮𝘂𝘀. 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺, 𝗮𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴.

Additional Information

MONIKA BRAVO
 I am a multi-disciplinary artist born in Bogotá, Colombia. I studied fashion design in Rome & Paris and photography in London and NYC. I moved to Miami Beach, during 2020. I embody my own perspective and no longer seek “truth”; my vision is a synthesis of all disciplines, guiding me to manifest a reality that matches my desire to evolve. I create mesmerizing environments for public spaces, intimate interpersonal interactions through astrological readings, and meaningful spaces for individual and communal development through talks and workshops. I enjoy directing and producing diverse projects, from complex multi-media installations and public art commissions to artists’ books, textile design, and community workshops – thus, I see no boundaries between the applied and fine arts. I thrive in situations where I am working with limitations and constraints, creating opportunities for innovative projects that serve communities for years to come. I enjoy challenging myself with new technologies and materials, discovering new ways of manifesting my ideas to fit the needs of the location.