VCUQatar Gallery Presents Interconnections: Recent Works by Mariana Heilmann

Colombian born Mariana Heilmann has worked, exhibited and sold her work in Paris, Houston, Princeton and London over the last 20 years. In addition to her degree in 3D Design, Heilmann has developed a wide range of skills over the years, which fuse into an original contemporary language. Her interest in science, feed and enrich the visual vocabulary of her work. Using diverse media, she explores how energy connects and manifests itself in the natural and manmade world, from the microscopic to the macroscopic. Her work echoes energy’s repetition, movement and order, and investigates dispersion, connection, repetition and sequence.

End of life materials hold a particular fascination for her. In this exhibition Heilmann will exhibit recent works and a variety of studio investigations. Her original visual language comes together in a stunning and thought provoking collection of work. Heilmann is presently teaching a community class on Contemporary Art at VCUQatar where participants are being introduced to ways of manipulating end of life materials (recycled materials) in methods that will result in unexpectedly beautiful works. Using simple techniques such as cutting, gluing, assembling, and minimal stitching, participants are discovering the beauty and potential within what we normally discard, such as water bottles, envelopes, old clothes, among other materials.

“Mariana recycles materials to create stunning artwork,” said Caitlin Doherty, exhibitions and speaker curator at VCUQatar, “and it seemed fitting to bring this exhibition and community class to VCUQatar during the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP18.”

‘Interconnections’ runs at the Gallery at VCUQatar from 25 November to 20 December 2012, with an opening reception on 25 November at 6:00 pm. The event is open to the public. For more information, please visit www.qatar.vcu.edu or email VCUQatar Exhibitions and Speaker Curator Caitlin Doherty at [email protected]