ESPACIO O

Santiago de Chile | Chile
Director| Daniela Claro

Espacio O is a Chilean contemporary art gallery founded in 2015 by visual artist Daniela Claro in the heart of the Lastarria neighborhood in the city of Santiago. Since its creation, it has been focused on the visibility and commercialization of works by artists with a solid conceptual base as well as impeccable visual work.

www.espacioo.com

BIO

Fernanda Gutiérrez (1973, Santiago de Chile)is a Chilean artist with a degree in Art and Contemporary Culture from the Universidad del Desarrollo in Santiago, Chile. She also holds a diploma in printmaking, studied under Francisco Copello, and has completed studies in Experimental Painting and Sculpture at San Diego State University in California, USA.

Gutiérrez has exhibited widely, with notable shows at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Valdivia, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Santiago, and the Gabriela Mistral Cultural Center, among others. Her work often explores themes of education, self-esteem, and social judgment, drawing from her experiences in a repressive educational environment. She critically examines the frustrations caused by social and religious rules, addressing these topics through her artwork. Additionally, Gutiérrez is a founding member of the art collective Hipermercado Casino, established in 2013 with artists Florencia Serrano and Daniela Claro.

CURATORIAL

"What’s to Come" The title refers to the origin of anxiety—the fear of the future and uncertainty. The artist found solace in knitting with wool and needles as a way to calm her anxiety when she tried to quit smoking. She adopted this technique as a method to learn something new, hoping to unlearn an old habit. The process also required her to keep both her hands and mind engaged, as she was unfamiliar with knitting. The self-imposed rules were as follows: knit 20 stitches, corresponding to the number of cigarettes in a pack. The knitting should be devoid of any practical purpose, created simply for the sake of the act itself. It should last only as long as the particular moment of anxiety or tension it was meant to alleviate. Only then could it end.

The exhibition features four pieces, each one a ball of yarn—naturally formed by winding these long, slender, knitted strands. The proportions of the yarn reflect the overwhelming sensation of the experience. Three small sculptures, created using the same technique, arose from the necessity to knit in spaces where the main knitting project could not be taken. Two videos accompany the work. The first narrates the artist’s story of a repressive education, leading to generalized anxiety. The second recounts the role of knitting as a communal tool.