At BETA Contemporary’s booth, visitors will encounter a visually dynamic and conceptually rich exploration of the essence of life in Barcelona and its surrounding areas from multiple perspectives.

Miriam Dema’s paintings are a vivid collection of moments reconstructed from memory, where she navigates the boundary between truth and artistic license. She bends reality, altering colors and forms in order to break free from rigidity and convention. In her paintings, shared tables, floral arrangements, fauna, and fresh fruit populate scenes that evoke warmth and intimacy, embodying elements of the artist’s family life.

These paintings are inspired by the summers Dema spent in her grandmother’s home in a small, quiet town in Catalonia. Each stroke of her brush feels deliberate, heavily-laden with intention, and driven by emotion. Working primarily with acrylics, oil sticks, and oil pastels on canvas, she constructs each piece with layers and partially uncovered elements, resulting in energetic works rich in nuances and textures.

As she delves into themes inspired by her childhood, Dema taps into a universal thread connecting artists throughout history who found inspiration in biographical themes. Her depictions of domestic scenes act as mementos of the richness of life experience, and of the strength of personal memories and familial bonds. As a counterpoint to Dema’s post-impressionist-inspired figurations, Carlos Herraiz’s abstractions emerge from a deeply personal engagement with the urban landscape and the ephemeral traces of human existence within it. His ouvre represents a synthesis of his ongoing exploration of materiality, memory, and the passage of time.

Herraiz is driven by an interest in human relationships - with ourselves; society, time, and the world. Initially focused on aesthetic aspects in his painting practice, he became dissatisfied with the perceived artificiality and lack of risk-taking in his work. Consequently, he shifted his focus towards “urban archaeology,” a lifelong pursuit involving collecting forgotten objects and textiles from urban life in his home city of Barcelona, eventually building a diverse archive during his travels and residencies around the world.

In ‘MUDA,’ his first exhibition with BETA Contemporary, Herraiz used his collected textiles to create collages and a site-specific installation. Through the combination of processes like sewing and embroidering with painting, he found a metaphorical bridge to interweave a new mode of expression with the medium that has come to define his artistic practice.

His latest works reflect this new signature style, where he integrates textile fragments, once the vessels of metaphorical storytelling, into paintings, imbuing them with a palpable sense of history and memory.

Herraiz’s practice revolves around an immersion in his surroundings. By exposing textiles from his archive to the elements of nature in his studio in the mountains surrounding Barcelona, he allows marks and traces from nature to emerge. Back at the studio, he paints the canvases throughout the day, and spends the night tearing them into shreds. At the end of this metamorphic journey, torn fragments of canvas are collaged into a final composition.

Carlos Herraiz and Miriam Dema each bring their unique artistic vision to the exhibition, touching upon themes deeply rooted in their home region. While Herraiz’s work explores the human connection both to the fast paced and exhilarating pace of city life, and to the beauty and tranquility of nature, Dema’s art delves into the intimacy of domesticity and family memories. By bringing together these seemingly disparate themes, the exhibition offers a comprehensive portrayal of life in Barcelona, capturing its diverse landscapes and the intricate tapestry of familial bonds.

What sets our proposal apart is the collaborative approach taken by the artists. Rather than simply showcasing their individual works, Herraiz and Dema will collaborate as curators of each other’s pieces. Furthermore, they will actively participate in the exhibition design process alongside the gallery, blurring the lines between artist, curator, and venue. This collaborative effort not only enriches the exhibition experience but also symbolizes the interconnectedness of art, nature, and human relationships.