Elevata, Row 4, column 4 2002

Curator: Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons created this intriguing piece, "Elevata, Row 4, column 4". It's currently residing here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's immediately striking, isn’t it? The intense blues create a calming effect, despite the almost disruptive crumpled form in the corner. Curator: Campos-Pons is often exploring themes of memory and identity in her work. I wonder how the visual language here relates to those recurring motifs? Editor: I'm drawn to the contrast between the smoothness of the blue field and the rough texture of that crumpled element. What’s the material, do we know? It looks almost like discarded plastic. Curator: The use of possibly discarded material certainly resonates with the wider social contexts Campos-Pons often addresses in her artistic practice. Editor: It really makes you think about value, doesn't it? Taking something mundane and elevating it to the level of fine art. Curator: Absolutely, and thinking about the role of institutions like this one in shaping those valuations. Editor: It is intriguing how a change of context can affect the perceived status and meaning of everyday materials. Curator: This piece offers a rich opportunity to ponder what we display and why. Editor: It's that tension between the discarded and the displayed that really stays with you.