The first of Rita Ponce de León’s five ambitious new works is Life, come here, based around a rainstick, a musical instrument producing a sound reminiscent of falling rain. Although there are several theories regarding the origin, it is believed that it may have been created by a group of Indigenous people from northern Chile, associated with rain-summoning rituals in Chile, Peru, and other Latin American countries. It is an interactive sound piece that can be described as “listening to the lives of others,” in which milestones in the lives of three collaborators are described in fragmented words. The piece is accompanied by The Voice of Rain (Ame no koe), a poem by the poet Yaxkin Melchy written on paper handmade by artisans from Oaxaca, Mexico. Installed in the next intersection-like gallery space, The spirit is dreaming, features an instrument that looks like a marimba with words gathered by Melchy and the Japanese poet Niiro Shinnosuke inscribed on its tone bars. Viewers are invited to rearrange them freely, creating a space in which poetry and music resonate. The final space contains ten drawings by Ponce de León, and a short video piece featuring an improvisational drawing performance by the artist’s friends.

These diverse works are tied together by the question posed to Ponce de León by her friend and collaborator Melchy: “What makes a life worth living?” This is a reflection of present-day society in which it is difficult to live healthily, whether in Mexico, Peru, or indeed anywhere in the world. In the belief that the process of seeking answers to this question is also a response to the theme of “Still Alive,” Ponce de León endeavors to share the diversity and richness of life, encompassing various personalities and differences, with a broad audience through the physically interactive experiences of her works. A previous residency in Japan during which she studied Butoh, a form of Japanese avant-garde dance theatre, also influenced her poetic and experiential approach.

Selected Works & Awards

2018

Rita Ponce de León / Fina Miralles, Fundación Cerezales Antonino y Cinia, León, Spain

2016

32nd São Paulo Biennial, Brazil

2014

Kunsthalle Basel, Switzerland

2014

80M2 Gallery, Lima, Peru

2014

Museum of Modern Art, Mexico City, Mexico

2019－21

SNCA (National System of Art Creators), National Fund for Culture and the Arts, Mexico

Exhibition

• Installation view at Aichi Triennale 2022
• Life, come here, 2022
• Photo: ToLoLo studio