Conversation held at Campeche between artist Ana Hernández and curator Itzel Vargas Plata, whithin the framework of Ana Hernández first solo show at the gallery, LADI BEÑE.
Ana Hernández is a Mexican visual artist and a graduate of the Escuela de Bellas Artes de Oaxaca, and the CEACO Contemporary Art Specialization Clinics and the Instituto de Artes Gráficas de Oaxaca (IAGO). Her wide production of work encompasses diverse techniques ranging from silkscreen printing to wood carving, and involves traditional sound, textile and visual languages of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. The artist addresses themes such as migration, language and family, stemming from personal interests that draw from the exchange of knowledge within the community. Ana Hernández’s work represents a vindication of the art of the original people sand its contemporary reflection. She has participated in exhibitions such as Histórias Indígenas at Museu de Arte de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil, Disrupciones Indígenas. Arte de los Pueblos de México at the Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City, Mexico, Los huecos del agua. Arte Actual de Pueblos Originarios at the Museo Universitario del Chopo, Mexico City, Mexico, and at the Museo Amparo, Puebla, Mexico.
Itzel Vargas Plata holds a master's degree in Contemporary Art from Manchester University and Sotheby’s Institute of Art. Vargas has held the following prestigious positions: Director of Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes, Head of Research at Museo de Arte Moderno, Exhibitions Coordinator of Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes, and leading curator of Casa del Lago and Museo Universitario del Chopo. Vargas worked for the cultural office of the Mexican Embassy in the United Kingdom, the Mexican representation in Arco 2005, and as adviser for Museo Nacional de Arte. For 30 years she has developed intergenerational cultural projects with national and international artists. Vargas was the curator and editor of the project Los huecos del agua. Arte actual de pueblos originarios exhibited at Museo Universitario del Chopo, Museo Amparo de Puebla, and National Museum of Mexican Art, Chicago. This show was shortlisted among the 15 most important exhibitions in the world in 2019 by Hyperallergic, and the best exhibition in Mexico City by Premios Ciudad.