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06 December 2023
Topography of Memory— a new large-scale, ceramic installation by artist Sallisa Rosa commissioned Audemars Piguet Contemporary – is on view at the Collins Park Rotunda in Miami Beach from 5-17 December coinciding with Art Basel Miami Beach. This installation will be followed by an extended presentation at the Pinacoteca de São Paulo from 16 March – 28 July 2024.
Topography of Memory marks the artist’s first solo exhibition in the U.S. and her first installation made entirely of ceramics. The presentation of the commission at the Pinacoteca will be the first exhibition in Brazil of a work commissioned by Audemars Piguet Contemporary.
Sallisa Rosa (b. 1986, Goiânia, Brazil) works across photography, video, performance, and installations in her artistic practice. Her work explores human connection to the earth. She is interested in collaborating with communities, echoing Audemars Piguet Contemporary’s belief that culture connects people. She frequently uses collected clay as a material with a unique connection to the earth, land, and territory.
Topography of Memory is an immersive installation that explores themes of memory, in particular, how memory can be reprogrammed. 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. Rosa’s uses collected clay in recognition of traditional knowledge and the preservation of non-industrial ways of working, as she believes ceramics have a symbolic capacity to store memory which can help us to remember.
Like many Brazilians of her generation, Rosa faces questions and confusion in trying to piece together her own ancestry. The fading memory of her grandmother, a core figure in bringing together the threads that make up her fragmented family history, is one of the main inspirations for Topography of Memory.
The installation comprises over 100 hand-made ceramic forms assembled from collected clay, including delicate spheres suspended in the air and stalagmite totems rising from the earth, together forming a landscape that invites meditation and a physical encounter by the viewer.
"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
Artist
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. 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.
The installation is on view with free admission at the Collins Park Rotunda from 5-17 December.
Address
2100 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33140, USA
(Adjacent to the Bass Museum)
Opening Hours
Wednesday to Sunday from 12pm to 5pm
The installation is accessible with ticketed admission at the Pinacoteca de São Paulo, 16 March – 28 July 2024. Visitors should purchase a day ticket which gives access to the Pina Luz, Pina Estação and Pina Contemporânea at https://pinacoteca.org.br/visita/ingresso/
Address
Praça da Luz, 2 – Luz
São Paulo - SP, 01120-010, Brazil
Opening Hours
Wednesday to Monday from 10am to 6pm
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).
It has been a wonderful experience to collaborate with Sallisa and Thiago on this commission. Audemars Piguet Contemporary is proud to support this milestone in her practice and to share this work with the cultural community gathered in Miami. We are excited for the public to experience the installation and be transported by the equally beautiful and emotionally-charged landscape that Sallisa has created.
Denis Pernet
Art Curator, Audemars Piguet Contemporary