Sandra Gamarra

Sandra Gamarra is a Spain-based Peruvian conceptual artist who works with oil on canvas and mixed media. She explores the mystical experience of art through her in works through the themes of perception; veneration; and cultural appropriation in her native South America. In Sandra Gamarra's series The New Worshipers and The New Pilgrims feature depictions of worship in public galleries investigating the notion of art as an act of faith. The series explores the metaphors of the art gallery as a place of devotion, depicting subjects lying in exultation in front of works of art. Infused into these works are parallels with the Christianization of South America and raises the question of whether natives attended church out of true devotion or out of obligation to the religion imposed on them through colonization. In her 2011 exhibition At The Same Time for the Bass Museum in Miami Sandra Gamarra presented canvases that were based on photographs she had taken of people contemplating art in galleries. These works deal with the concept of the observer being observed, highlighting the relationship between artist and audience in the location of the gallery where they come together. These works reflect on notions of authenticity, replication, and the activity of interacting with a work of art.