Client: Colpatria Bank

Overview

URUMU_WEAVING_TIME (2014) is inspired by the landscapes, natural environments, and indigenous populations of Bravo’s native Colombia. Rooted in ancestral knowledge and textiles, it places viewers in an immersive technological environment where snippets of language are animated and layered to mimic the process of weaving. The work began with Bravo’s two-year residency with the Arhuaco people of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, in which she decoded weaving practices.

Goals


This project was not only a public art commission acquired by a private banking Colpatria, in Bogotá, Colombia, for the entrance of their cultural center. It was generated as part of an itinerant exhibition, curated by Jose Roca, traveling exhibition (Waterweavers) Bard Graduate Center NYC, NC-Arte, Bogotá, Colombia, Centro Conde Duque, Madrid, and Museo de las Américas, Washington DC.

Process


For Bravo, technology serves as a vehicle for translating all the information she processes as an observer of life. In URUMU_WEAVING_TIME, Bravo draws upon ancestral traditions through practices of weaving and at the same time, reimagines them within a contemporary mode of abstraction through the usage of the technology. There is a direct relationship between the binary systems of the loom and the computer, exemplified by the Jacquard machine that attaches to a loom in order to simplify textile production.

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.