Rhythms of Infinitude:

The Transformative Practice of Sofía Maldonado-Suárez

Spatiality—meaning the relationship with space and time—is the expression of our infinitude, which manifests through the sound and silence that organize our encounters. However, infinitude is not the "inner self," nor the Cartesian ideal founded on freedom, and even less the Kantian subject aspiring to moral superiority at the expense of oppression. Infinitude is how we reveal ourselves in the presence of others, without temporal or spatial limits. It is the recognition and imagination of a space-time through which we transit endlessly, extending indefinitely. It is the pursuit of knowledge while acknowledging the boundless and unfathomable presence of all those around us.

Sofía Maldonado-Suárez explores these relationships in her artistic practice, challenging layers of perception, unraveling each one, transforming and allowing herself to be transformed. After launching her career successfully as a muralist, Maldonado-Suárez has spent over a decade studying spaces and interactions, filling public sites with color, movement, and sound, making them resonate. In this new phase of her interdisciplinary practice, she confronts the transformative power of silence, prompting her to question her relationship with history and the place her "body" occupies.

“Encuentro: el centro, mi silencio” is the result of a generous introspection in which Sofía Maldonado-Suárez seeks answers to ontological questions such as "who are we?" not inwardly, but rather in the shared space of encounter. Sofía extends this encounter to her surroundings: the island as a site of colonial desire, not confined to history, but projected toward life, which, despite the harsh Modernity we share, manifests itself resiliently. Part of her creative process involves walking along the Caribbean Sea or in the mountains of Puerto Rico, not to grasp the landscape, but to resist it and confront its terrible history. In ceramics, Maldonado-Suárez has rooted herself again, forcing herself to listen to the pulse of the earth, recognizing its life and memory, questioning the extractive silences of history, and reflecting on the implications of creating, destroying, and reimagining.

In this exhibition, Sofía presents two installations that establish a tension between the material and the ephemeral. However, rather than simply creating tension, these works make the asymmetric rhythms of life present. “Isla Eterna” reveals the presence of the sea in relation to the trees and the transformative vortex we call humanity, manifesting as an opportunity for reflection and change. Similarly, in the installation “El Centro,” smoke takes on corporeality on a cement platform through the use of incense. This work reveals space, making it visible as a relationship in which we enter into by moving, where we find each other and adjust our rhythm by looking at one another.

Over the past two years, through Arquetopia's artist residency programs, I have had the privilege of meeting Sofía and working with her to expand her creative practice. We have taught and learned from each other in a generous and simultaneous rhythm. At Arquetopia, we have always been committed to social change, and encountering Sofía and her transformative force in the art world has left a lasting impact, undoubtedly broadening our mission. Justice is a song that is difficult to sing, with highs and lows and often imperceptible nuances; however, it can only be sung in chorus, requiring us to look around and understand who accompanies us. Sofía Maldonado-Suárez sings in this space through silence, making our infinitude visible, and Arquetopia proudly accompanies her on her generous journey. May this exhibition serve as a space-time where we not only find and recognize each other but also as an open invitation to all those who sing to life with a different rhythm. Congratulations!

Francisco Guevara, 

Co-Director de Arquetopia

septiembre de 2024