Graciela Cassel
Graciela Cassel is a multidisciplinary artist from Buenos Aires, Argentina, based in New York City, whose work has been exhibited internationally at venues such as the Museo de la Naturaleza in Spain, Urban Glass Gallery in Brooklyn, and the Venice Biennial.
Her practice, supported by numerous awards and residencies including the NYFA Work Award and a fellowship at the New York Historical Society, explores themes of space, nature, and perception through immersive sculptural and installation-based works held in collections across the Americas and Europe.
Projects on show
Breathing Dandelion Flowers (2022)
This video will show, by poetic abstraction, the process of healing possible by interconnecting humans and nature.
Healing places are possible because of strong relationships between humans, nature, and even cities.
After almost two years of having our collective faith worn thin from the fear of covid, a time of recovery is surging. Actions in the video reflect this recovery: rustling of leaves, and, particularly, the lens zooming in to capture these moments that each re-signify life. I interpret this time of healing as “breathing.” This healing comes despite the very rough cuts of trauma, as if two branches on a fruiting tree break apart, thereby requiring a wise orchardist to bind up and re-graft them. Two branches, sutured and held with a wire, allowing the sap of one branch to run into the broken one, offering restoration.
We humans can heal also: with words that connect each other. After suffering, screaming, dancing, finally healing will reappear in our paths. We will reintroduce nature into us, with movement and rhythm.
Breathe! Yes, all of us, every race, all the languages and all the countries will recover from the horrors of our recent life.
Rivers (2016)
In Rivers, an overview of the Queens Borough riverbanks and bridges is documented.
The rivers are viewed differently, depending on who is looking at the waterway: a bird, a child, or a captain in a boat. The changes in the perspective of each observer gives a unique view of the river. The interaction of different people with the river, shows the universality of nature, that this supporting "mother" belongs to everyone.
The symbolism of the flag is important because the flag is the first symbol that humankind uses to show domination and possession of a territory. In this case, the flag has a hole, making it open to any representation. This means that, literally, anything can be placed in the flag's middle portion of space signified by the hole.
In the video action, this flag is transferred from one hand to another. In one of the scenes, the flag is lost in the river but then recovered by children who, next, attempt to launch this flag into the sky, moving this powerful symbol of possession into other hands.
Whitenight (2023)
A train rides into an ethereal scene, where light and darkness transform a city.
Shimmering night reflections appear between the wavy lines on the screen.
Old memories are dissolved as a new version of the city appears.
The rhythm of music and the echo of a voice compose a magical night while the speed of the train accelerates.