Laura Salguero (León, 1987). She is a Higher Technician in Artistic Jewelry from the EASD and a graduate in Fine Arts from the UPV, a faculty where she also studied a Postgraduate Degree in Art; Production and Research and where she is currently doing her Doctorate around wax as a definitive material.
Her artistic practice is based on questioning the monopoly of rationalism as the only method of knowledge. Creating divergent, plural, sensitive and empathetic thoughts to be able to reimagine possible futures
With this production proposal, the research “Wax Laboratory. From the representation of nature to ontological melting”, an experimentation that seeks to explore the technical and symbolic qualities of wax as a material. This research has focused on wax as a living and mutating material that can change state and transform, and that its organic condition affects not only its durability but also its cyclical nature. Over the past few years, I have been exploring the potential of wax as a material in artistic creation and would like to take my research to a deeper level by formalizing a series of sculptural pieces based on its physical and metamorphic qualities.
But in this residence the research is not limited to the workshop but is taken to the streets to investigate the new limits of the material. A series of interventions will be carried out with wax pieces in different places in the city, which will allow us to explore how the wax is affected by the environment, interacting with elements present in the city and functioning as an environmental thermometer. In addition, Berlin’s relationship with urban beekeeping and wax work will be investigated, visiting the Museum für Naturkunde and generating ties with local projects related to beekeeping. Inspiration will be sought at the Berliner Medizinhistorisches Museum to highlight the dermatological collection of wax moulage.
This proposal seeks to decentralize the anthropocentric gaze and give voice to the sensitive and non-human by experimenting with ecological and reusable materials. The residency in Berlin is a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in a city that has so embraced human-bee coexistence, meet local beekeepers and be able to work with them and exchange ideas for the development of research. Wax is a wonderful material that, in this proposal, becomes a living agent that relates to the city and the environment, inviting us to reflect on our relationship with nature and the non-human.