November 2024

Text by Irina Rusinovich

In this interview, we get into the multifaceted world of Astrid Fuchslocher H., a Chilean-Italian artist and cultural manager whose career bridges the worlds of art and academia across continents. Born in Santiago, Chile, and currently residing in Italy, Astrid combines a rich artistic practice with extensive curatorial and cultural management experience. With a degree in Art from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and a Master of Science in Modern and Contemporary Art: History, Curating & Criticism from the University of Edinburgh, Astrid has established herself as a dynamic force in both the Latin American and European art scenes.

Having worked in cultural institutions such as the Chilean-British Institute of Culture, the FAVA Foundation, and as a consultant at the Open Art House Cultural Association, Astrid’s contributions to the field reflect a unique perspective that blends her Chilean roots with a contemporary European outlook. Her work as a curator includes exhibitions with notable figures such as Pablo León de la Barra, and her own visual art has been featured in solo and collective exhibitions in Chile, Italy, and France. Here, we explore Astrid’s journey, her views on cultural exchange, and her role in fostering artistic dialogue in an increasingly interconnected world.

What drew you to the specific medium you work with?

I was attracted by its ability to communicate, to transport us to another scenario or reality and its suitability for creating a real imaginary. In parallel, I like the fact that it is a 100% handmade technique and an artisanal process. Above all, a simple but at the same time complex, spontaneous, unpretentious and in my case also therapeutic task.

What are the biggest challenges and rewards of creating art in your chosen medium?

One of the challenges is that there are many exponents and that makes it difficult to stand out and/or create something original. I am referring to people who dedicate themselves to collage – analogue or digital – professionally or as a hobby. This added to the fact that it is a technique that is excluded from classical art and is sometimes considered ‘second class’. Consequently, and looking on the bright side, the fact that collage is currently such a massive medium means that there is an important community both physically and virtually around it, as well as various instances where this method is the protagonist.

Astrid Fuchslocher H

Can you tell us about a particular piece that holds special meaning to you and why?

It is difficult to think of just one work as a ‘favourite’ since each of my works has a theme, process and meaning that identifies or mobilises me. Considering this, if I had to choose just one work it could be ‘Between Life and Death’, as it is a work that begins this new stage of my work as a visual artist – after leaving practical art for almost 8 years – and that also gives rise to a more consequent, consistent and thorough line of work in terms of concept, aesthetics and technique.

How do you envision your art influencing or impacting the world?

I would like to imagine that my art transports and allows a journey to a new aesthetic, historical and ideological context. In a route that also promotes reflection from an artistic and philosophical perspective, with the aspiration of encouraging questions and exposing various problems that manage to shake the viewer and ultimately transform our society.

Astrid Fuchslocher H

What artists, past or present, inspire your work?

There are many artists who inspire and/or move me beyond the direct influence they exert on my work. With this in mind, and in a general way, I could name Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Olafur Eliasson, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Claude Monet, William Turner, among others. This question is difficult because there are artists who inspire me for their technique and results, others for their ideals and way of approaching art and others for being avant-garde and for their contribution to visual art.

Is there a specific social or political issue you feel compelled to address through your art?

I tend to think that there is nothing that I feel ‘obliged’ to address in my work, but I do believe that it is important for contemporary artists to reflect on and propose a discussion around issues, social phenomena and/or issues that afflict us as a society. This belief also extrapolates to topics that personally interest me such as historical evolution, feminism, social change, the passage of time and human life in general.

Astrid Fuchslocher H

What are your hopes for the future of your art?

My wish is that the people who contemplate it will be touched on a deep level, that it will produce debates on various issues and hopefully give them the possibility of delving into the complexity of our reality. From another angle, and on a practical and personal level, I would like my art to be a contribution to the discipline, to be recognized within its technique and to be consolidated in an international market in order to have greater visibility and impact.

What advice would you give to aspiring artists?

My advice would be for them to be tireless workers, to continue learning, improving themselves and questioning the statement of their work. Additionally, I would suggest that they acquire self-management tools and be resilient when facing and entering the world of art. Lastly, and most importantly, I would suggest that they make art that makes sense to them, that is honest, and that they enjoy the gift and privilege of being an artist.

Information about the artist

Astrid Fuchslocher H.

https://afhcollage.com/

@afh_collage