GRACE VILLAMIL

My art is driven by my interest in perception, our interconnected nature and the shared experience. Through the synthesis of sound, light, environment and material, I explore an idea of mysticism: the boundaries of humanity and the uncertainty beyond it. My multimedia mylar installations are large-scale, interactive environments sculpted with emergency blankets, creating spaces of reflection within a womb-like environment. These environments encourage the public to sense beyond their accustomed function and assumed limitation. The functionality of these installations eschew the behavioral and intellectual conventions associated with galleries and museums.

This installation acts as a bridge or meeting place between the communities of Princeton; connecting and creating space for new possibilities to occur. I believe this fertile ground will provide access for the public to engage with each other in a new way; enabling new groups of people – who traditionally inhabit disparate worlds – to form. From my experience of building these installations in NYC and Berlin, the nature of the space simply brings people together. It has an innate, uncanny way of breaking down barriers amongst its visitors, igniting their temporal experience with hope, awe, and a sense of universality; feelings that slowly broaden within them and are brought back into their individual worlds. I believe this type of engagement will give opportunity to everyone who experiences it in ways unimaginable.

I would like to take the opportunity to explore ways of recreating this mylar from a biodegradable material. I hope to introduce this project to Materials Engineers & with Princeton’s institutions to begin the conversation. The materials in this particular installation will be reused during Arts Council summer studios as a learning tool for ages 5-16.

I feel as a world community, the pursuit of rebuilding and restructuring our interpersonal relationships with each other and our natural world is necessary. I believe this immersive environment is a powerful tool for such an endeavor.

Villamil’s installation will premier in the Arts Council’s lobby on Friday, April 14 as part of Art People Party, before opening to the public on April 15.