Valentina Améstica

"Memorias que se transforman. Imágenes Aleatorias que aparecen como destellos. El pasado se vuelve una Permanente Sensación de extrañeza."

Some everyday elements hold both an ephemeral beauty and a barely evident meaning, of which our daily routine rarely reflects upon. It is a pending exploration that Valentina Améstica seeks to carry forward through her artistic work, in order to expose the fleeting nature of both materiality and life, thus promoting a deeper connection between our own existence and the world around us.

One of her goals is for viewers to become aware of the transcendent meaning in the midst of impermanence, and how such an unexplored wonder —even in the smallest of references— is worth appreciating and preserving.

Not every object that is useful has to be inherently enduring. In ancient Greek, the word ‘Ephèmerios’ (ἐφημερίς) refers to that which is transient or short-lived. According to this etymology, an ephemera would constitute pieces of paper, prints or documents destined to be discarded after just one use. This essential caducity inspires Valentina Améstica’s most recent artistic proposal, M.A.P.S., an exhibition in Miriam Gallery opening on March 6th, 2025.

To preserve graphic elements originally intended to be thrown away. To build a personal archive through the exploration and analysis of pieces such as photographs, postcards, stamps, slides and other objects derived from different printing methods; collected from travels, flea markets and second-hand sales shelves. «These are objects that turned up in my daily life without me necessarily looking for them», says the Chilean-born, New York- based artist. Despite their «ephemeral existence», the recollection and resignification given to these 65 pieces reflect an everlasting narrative, reminding us that, both in art and in life, material realities may appear precarious, abstract and out of our control.

The temporary nature of such materials engages viewers in a dynamic of interpretation, rather than mere contemplation. The poetic narrative proposed alludes to memory’s fragility, the vulnerability of our reminiscences and the intimacy that we are able to forge in silence with what surrounds us. Visitors are invited to explore the room calmly, and to find their own interpretations.

Valentina Améstica (b. 1994, Santiago de Chile) is a Chilean artist and graphic designer based in New York. She has degrees both in Graphic Design (Universidad Diego Portales, Chile) and Fine Arts (Central Saint Martins-UAL, UK). Her visual work ranges between print, poetic narratives and image, and presents intersections that explore our memory’s fragility, the ephemeral, and personal and everyday experiences. In 2020, she became a ZAZ Gallery awardee and exhibited for the first time in New York. Her work can be found at Center For Book Arts, Printed Matter, Naranja Publicaciones, Miriam Gallery and Citylab.

In 2024, Valentina was selected as an artist in residence by the Center For Book Arts (NY) and took part in the Zagreb Design Week with Local Chile. That same year she had her first individual exhibition in her native country: «Relatos pasajeros» (Citylab, Centro Cultural GAM, Santiago).