Valentina Gaete Urrutia (1995. Santiago, Chile)

(Close)

Chilean interdisciplinary visual and media artist based in Bremen, Germany, with a focus on socially and participatory art. My practice explores migration, memory, emotions and the body through performance, multimedia and body-oriented experiences, engaging with community, care and active listening.

Movement research body-process
2025

How Far We Can Stretch
2025

The personal connection to my artistic practices has always been important. Without this connection, I feel unable to develop an idea. Additionally, I recognize and embrace a political commitment in my creative work to address the social contexts that surround us. Given the privileged position of the Arts in general, artistic works should be capable of reflecting on and addressing real(what is real?) issues in our society.
I like to approach the different forms of my work from a poetic, symbolic, and narrative perspective. When I feel drawn to a particular idea, material, or technique, I ask myself why it attracts me and whether there is a deeper connection behind it. This process can take time, as it involves a meditative and introspective experience. It may unfold during the research part of a specific topic where I try to understand it from a theoretical perspective or in the material part, experimenting with different materials to embody my main idea. (the making with hands) This stage often takes a considerable amount of time as I explore what best fits or represents my concept, and what I feel most comfortable with. Between the conceptual and material aspects, I often find the emotional and personal element that deeply motivates me to do what I am doing. And it is at this moment that I find myself, and also, many times, I find myself reflected in others and in my social context.
From this point of view, the material metaphorical representation is very important since I can show my idea through physical, sound or visual installations, playing with physical materials in which you can see layers of symbolic meaning, or with people's voices inviting you to listen to be part of their own narratives, thus allowing the public to contemplate and interact with my work, finding some point of identification with it.