Ballroom’s galleries finally opened to the public again this weekend with ESPEJO QUEMADA, a series of new works by Donna Huanca commissioned by Ballroom Marfa. Huanca creates experiential installations that incorporate painting, sculpture, video, scent, and sound. Drawing inspiration from memories and experiences from her first visit to Marfa in 2005, Huanca engages with the geology and dark skies of Far West Texas while pulling from visual, cultural, and mythological cues informed by feminism, decolonialism, and the artist’s personal and familial histories. 

ESPEJO QUEMADA, which translates to “burnt mirror” in English and is purposely feminized in Spanish, alludes to Huanca’s use of mirrors as formal and metaphorical devices to respond to changing conditions. “Espejo Quemada” suggests reflections of the current moment, portals to the past and future, and catalysts for combustion and change. As Huanca’s first exhibition since the pandemic, ESPEJO QUEMADA necessarily reconsiders experiences of time, touch, and embodiment in the shadow of the pandemic, especially as physical contact and proximity to bodies and objects have been restricted. The exhibition is on view by appointment through January 2, 2022. Read more about the exhibition here and schedule your visit here.