Elevata, Row 3, column 1 2002

Curator: Here we have Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons' work, "Elevata," currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: The blue immediately gives a sense of melancholy, or perhaps a memory fading. What are those dark, sinuous lines? Curator: Those lines are actually strands of hair, meticulously arranged on the paper. Campos-Pons often incorporates hair in her work to explore themes of identity and diaspora within a globalized world. She questions the traditional notions of selfhood. Editor: Fascinating. So, the material itself—hair—becomes a carrier of meaning, referencing the artist's Afro-Cuban heritage. How is it presented? It appears as though the hair has been woven onto the support, giving it the aspect of labor. Curator: Yes, the labor that often goes unnoticed in art is part of Campos-Pons' social critique. In terms of presentation, note the scale and the museum context, which elevates what might be dismissed as craft to the realm of fine art. Editor: Absolutely, I see the museum acting as an active participant in shaping how we value and interpret the artwork. Curator: Indeed, it provokes us to rethink the cultural and social values we impose. Editor: The interplay of material and idea is what makes it so potent.