Hi! I'm Isa.

My work visually explores the presence of the past in our everyday life and takes a close look into the interrelation between personal recall and collective memory.

In my practice I have found a way to capture what History tends to overlook due to its quotidian aspect and, by creating something new, preserve its legacy. This can be a piece of urban furniture or a neon sign falling apart; even a memory close to being forgotten.

I am fascinated by the concept of nostalgia. It's a constant topic of research for me in its multiple aspects, from its political instrumentalization to the individual and collective need to create a narrative that helps us deal with the past. I'm also interested in the mutability of memory and how we impregnate our belongings with it.

For a few years, my practice has been focusing on loss and the different stages of grief through ritualized and repetitive artistic processes and methodologies. My aim is to establish a dialogue with the viewer in order to create a common ground that helps us transmute the personal experience into a collective one while moving closer to more empathic interactions.

My process is based on an ongoing conversation between research and intuition. I approach every project with an inquisitive and playful mindset, whether I'm working with photography, drawing or video. I like to experiment with the possibilities of each medium and its plasticity beyond established techniques.

I am very inspired by ecofeminist and hydrofeminist ideas and they have encouraged me to incorporate collaborative practices in my projects and to work in close relationship with the other-than-human.

BIO
Isabel Val (Barcelona, 1988) is a visual artist working across photography, drawing and video. Her work explores nostalgia, grief and the invisible connections between past and present. Her practice is based on ritual and repetition, followed by a great interest in analogue techniques that allow space for improvisation and mistakes.
Her work has been exhibited and screened in Barcelona, Budapest, Berlin , Mexico and Canada.