Elevata, Row 2, column 2 2002

Curator: Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons’s "Elevata" at the Harvard Art Museums presents a striking image—but tell me, what’s your initial read? Editor: It's somber; the cool blue and those dark, almost weeping strands create such a feeling of melancholy and perhaps even entrapment. Curator: Campos-Pons often explores themes of memory, displacement, and identity in her work, and hair often represents personal or collective history and resistance, particularly within the African diaspora. Editor: The strands’ vertical orientation and the title "Elevata" suggests a striving upward, though their fragmented nature introduces a tension. Curator: Yes, and considering Campos-Pons’s Cuban heritage, we can look at the role of the Santería religion and its significance to the symbolism in her artworks. Editor: It's fascinating how the artist distills complex themes into such elemental forms. The minimal aesthetic lets the symbolic weight of the elements speak loudly. Curator: Absolutely, the artist's roots are intrinsically woven into the texture and hue of this piece. Editor: It leaves one pondering the enduring power of resilience and the weight of history.