Ritual Para No Olvidarte

A lifelong project born from anticipatory grief that resists the reality of forgetting.

Born from anticipatory grief, Ritual Para No Olvidarte resists the reality of forgetting. Initially, at its conception during the COVID-19 pandemic, the project was trying to answer the question, “How do I preserve a connection during a time of uncertain distance?” Now, its purpose has evolved into preserving the continuity of memory.

Once the isolation guidelines were lifted, the ritual made its way from Houston to Bolivia, the locations ranging from family homes to parks, a parking lot, and a cemetery.

The ritual of making the photograms weaves together photography, plastic art, and performance art. By making handprints, the universal symbol of humanity, on light-sensitive paper, it results in a sensorial piece that is self-aware of its fleeting nature.

Ritual Para No Olvidarte marks the beginning of a long goodbye. Not being able to have a "proper" goodbye (if such a thing exists) is a guilt I never want to carry, which is why this series will continue until my death. So, by the end of my life, I will have a chamber full of pieces that not only remain as proof of existence but also narrate the stories of my world and those around me.

The first phase of the project has been exhibited recently at LaVallée in Brussels.