Maga Berr
Born in Lima, Peru
Lives and works in Rotterdam-The Netherlands

My work observes and responds to our collective experience of coexistence, and reflects on social, historical and political concerns. I am an interdisciplinary visual artist, with academic background in the social sciences. My practice is inspired by the observation of social and power structures, world order, human exchange. Drawing connections between past and present, exploration and exploitation, rationality and domination, I seek to make people reflect on our relationships with other humans and the non-human world. My work symbolically confronts or brings another perspective to power imbalance, through the use and observation of symbols or the imitation of power structures with the goal to achieve a cathartic feeling. The processes of healing rituals, nature, psychedelia, ancestral art, mythology also feed my art strategies.

My working methods start by gathering stories, from historical facts or contemporary communities, where I also interact. These communities may have something to teach. They can be farmers in the global south, organised women in environmentally degraded places, capoeira artists in favelas, spiritual groups in Europe, rap singers in peripheral neighbourhoods in Amsterdam, and so on. I learn from them and their stories and sometimes invite them in my work, to influence it.

I use media such as sculpture, where each piece represents a body or a conglomerate of worlds.
My installations are full of symbolic interactions between the diverse sculptures, pointing to the narratives that inspired them.
I also use other media such as quilt, drawings and paintings which reflect about a (collective) subconscious reality that connect us.
The materiality of my work emphasises the feelings that the inspiring stories stimulate. I work with forms, textures and colours in an intimate way. On the other hand, many of the workshops I facilitate before producing art works, are exercises on social inclusion, where we share our knowledge within a group of people who share the same interests.
My work values collaboration to strengthen each other goals, which leads to the creation of strong artistic languages.

2012-2017
Bachelor Fine Arts, Gerrit Rietveld Academy, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Thesis keywords: Power Dynamics of Oppression, the Artist as a Shaman, Homeopathic Healing in Art.

2005
Postdoctoral Education in International Development Studies, Radboud Universiteit, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Thesis on Politics of International Cooperation for Development.

2002-2004
Master in International Development Studies, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Thesis on the dynamics of Racism, Multiculturalism, De-colonialism, Environmental protection and Empowerment in Education System in the Amazon rainforest in Peru 2004: 5 months field research in the Amazon rainforest of Peru, for MA thesis on intercultural education.

1996-2000
Bachelor in Communication Sciences, specialisation in Film and Television, University of Lima, Peru.

2005-2011
Worked as a coordinator in diverse international social and environmental projects (in South East Asia, Europe, and Latin America), at organizations such as Oxfam-Novib, Amnesty International and Both ENDS. Research on environmental and social inequality in diverse regions of the world gathered experience in a bottom-up approach for participatory project development, facilitation processes, intercultural communication, and project management.

1999-2002
Worked in the broadcasting business in Peru in diverse positions as set journalistic researcher, designer, scriptwriter, photographer, and producer. Gathered relevant information about the socio-political situation in my own country, Peru, by developing journalistic research.

Since 2023: Member of the Cool Clay Collective in Rotterdam.
2021 Decolonial Summer School Maria Lugones hosted by Van Abbe Museum, organised by Walter Mignolo and Rolando Vasquez.
2021 Organisation of Collective IANDE, with Latin American artists living in Europe. Co curation of exhibition at CBK Zuidoost.
2020-ongoing: Permaculture activities in local community gardens in Amsterdam and Rotterdam.
2020 Organisation of Capoeira Experience program: initiative to create empowering energy within the artistic community through the practice and philosophy of Capoeira.
2019 Art and Politics, six week course given by Maria Hlavajova at BAK, Utrecht.
2018 Screening of video “expectations’’ at SWITCH, Roodkapje Rotterdam.
2017-2018 Organisation of collective “The Bridge”, where artists and refugees were working together to bring their reflections about migration to the outside world.
2016-2017 Participation in working group of the “Flag of Compassion,” project by Rini Hurkmans.

2023 "De Bekendste (Onbekende)Ontdekking van Breda", exhibition organised by Kop in Beeld, Breda Bontanique, Breda.
2023 “Yamitata Untold Stories”, exhibition of IANDE collective, WM Gallery, Amsterdam. Co-curation.
2023 “Prospects” exhibition at Van Nelle Factory during Art Rotterdam fair, The Netherlands.
2022 “Pincoyas Memorias Resistentes”, is a traveling exhibition, Centro Cultural Tome, Chile.
2022 “A World of Many Words”, CBK Zuidoost, Amsterdam (upcoming March-April). Co-curation.
2021 “Pincoyas Memorias Resistentes”, is a traveling exhibition, Museo de Historia Natural de Concepcion, Chile.
2021 “Zomer Salon, Royal”, CBK Zuidoost, Amsterdam.
2020 “Chemistry Proofread at Test Site”, Open Ateliers Zuidoost, Amsterdam. Co-curation and artistic contribution.
2020 “Zomer Salon, Royal”, CBK Zuidoost, Amsterdam.
2020 “City Life”, Arnhem Museum, Arnhem - The Netherlands, February-August.
2020 “A House for the Un-Known” exhibition and artist talk, puntWG, Amsterdam - The Netherlands. Solo.
2019 BijlmAIR residency exhibition and artist talk, CBK Zuidoost, Amsterdam-The Netherlands.
2019 Residency exhibition, Despina, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in July.
2019 Residency exhibition, Despina, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and artist talk, June.
2018 BijlmAIR residency exhibition, CBK Zuidoost, Amsterdam-The Netherlands.
2018 “On my way to the Galactic Supermarket, need anything?”, Garage Rotterdam.
2018 “New Found Land”, RADION, Amsterdam. Curation and artistic contribution.
2018 “Jetzt Schlägt's Driezehn”, V & B showroom, Rotterdam.
2017 “Bougie 2017”, CBK Amsterdam.
2017 “Summer of Love”, De Vishal, Haarlem.
2017 Graduation Show, Gerrit Rietveld Academy.
2017 “Notes”, Peer Paper Platform, Amsterdam.
2016 "Syzygy", Gerrit Rietveld Academy, Amsterdam. Co-curation and artistic contribution.
2016 "Excellence. Simply delivered. (1/3)", as part of the Uncut Festival, Brakke Grond, Amsterdam. Co-curation and artistic contribution.
2016 "For example: etc.", A Lab, Amsterdam. Co-Curation and artistic contribution.
2015 'Wonder and Wander', De Oude Kerk, Amsterdam.
2014 Part Two, Gerrit Rietveld Academy, 2015. Dogtime 2, Gerrit Rietveld Academy.
2014 “BIT(e)S”, Sixty One Gallery, Amsterdam.

2024 March-May Residency at EKWC, The Netherlands (upcoming)
2022 June-August Research Trip to Cajamarca-Peru.
2021 May-July Residency at Het Wilde Weten, Rotterdam
2020 February Orientation trip to prepare second stage of project in Rio de Janeiro.
2019 August-November Residency BijlmAIR Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
2019 May-July Residency Despina, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2019 January Trip to Peru. Pre- Colombian ceramic workshop with professor Jose Luis Yamunaque.
2018 November Residency BijlmAIR, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
2018 August Residency BijlmAIR, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
2018 May Orientation trip to Peru, Pre- Colombian ceramic historical places - Sechura desert.

Maga Berr
magaberr0000@gmail.com
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