Sara Modiano’s work encompasses painting, installation, sculpture, and performance. In one of her main and most recognized artistic explorations, Modiano investigated geometric forms of concentric quadrilaterals, both in pictorial representations and three-dimensional works, using materials such as wood and brick.
She takes part in the 14th Mercosul Biennial with Desaparece una Cultura, a work that documents the sea washing away fifteen sand pyramids sculpted on the beaches of Puerto Salgar on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. The geometric shapes allude to the ceremonial structures of major Indigenous nations across the Americas. Captured through video and photography, the erosion of these sand structures—carried away by the waves—acts as a metaphorical vehicle for the artist to address the post-colonial political context of Latin America and the construction of supposed collective identities.
Anelise Valls
Sara Modiano (Colombia, 1951-2010) was a conceptual artist who worked in painting, installation, sculpture, and performance. In her practice, Modiano reflected on the political and cultural context of the time, creating geometric structures and forms related to pre-colonial architecture and the essential geometric patterns found in nature. She received awards and recognition and participated in biennials in Chile, Colombia, Brazil, and Australia. Her work is in public collections such as the Museum of Modern Art in Bogotá, the Museum of Antioquia, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Caracas, and the Bass Museum of Art. The Sara Modiano Foundation for the Arts was created in 2011 to preserve and promote the artist's artistic legacy. She lived most of her life in Bogotá, Colombia.
