There are things that because of their multiple layers defy easy categorization, the migrant experience is hard to encapsulate in a simple definition. “Neither chicha nor lemonade” or its english equivalent “neither fish nor fowl”,  is used in several Latin American countries to denote unconformity with something or to state that something cannot be strictly defined. The works of these two artists reveal a nonconformity towards dominant narratives that is manifested in different creative expressions.

Eva Aguero’s work draws inspiration from her recent migratory experience, using videos, prints and clay as mediums to rethink passages from a popular Venezuelan manual for “good manners” written during the years after Venezuela’s independence from Spain. The Carreño’s manual became the standard in Venezuela and Spanish speaking countries of how a “civilized” person should behave, as well as serving as a tool for ethnic cleansing and classism in order to distinguish the free people with “good manners” (of european origin) from the rest (black, indigenous, mulatos, mestizos, etc) The manual’s content includes as well a series of instructions for how a woman should behave by imposing a  “severity in the domestication of her body (Beatriz Gonzalez)

Eva uses toys a as a way to engage in a civilizational  and de-civilizational game that confronts her in two ways - as a venezuelan woman and as a recent migrant in the U.S - Captions from the most conflicting parts of the manual are presented while  she engages in multiple actions with the toys . The sculptural objects that she presents are provided with symbolic elements that are historically associated with the woman like an iron, but that become at the same time a symbol for domestication of that otherness which is considered to be imperfect.

On the other hand, the fruits in both ceramic objects and reality become a way to think about the exoticization and appropriation  of latin american symbols —

Natalia’s works are a collection of experimental visuals from 2020-2024, textured and layered through various live rendering techniques including analog synthesis, live distortion and digital synthesis along with some found footage and AI generated visuals. The glitch distortion is conducted through high voltage color renderings along with collage layering of videos. The selection of symbols and imagery relate to the notions of foreign home, islands and luck. Intriga is a video album scored by experimental sounds by Austin based musicians Rulitos, ethnomusicologist Jeannelle Ramirez and experimental cellist Henna Chou.

About the process Natalia says : “When scoring visuals for musicians, I often find myself layering distortions over one another again and again until a finished symbol is created, Intriga combines various projects united in process, texture and symbol”.

Both artists share a desire to disrupt established structures—either historical, cultural, or aesthetic. Their work rejects rigid binaries, playing with ambiguity to uncover uncomfortable truths about belonging, identity, and the power dynamics embedded in dominant narratives. Together, they create a space where neither tradition nor innovation dominates, where complexity is embraced, and where the question remains open: what defines us, if not a choice between “chicha” or “limonada”

EVA AGÜERO:

Born in Caracas, Venezuela, 1991. She uses the materials as symbols to reflect on the ideas of perception and domesticity, using concepts associated with memory and territory. Domestic daily actions conjoin with construction materials to bring about reflections of their influence in our perceptual processes, and how our preconceived notions mold our reality. Agüero has participated in various shows in Venezuela, such as the National Universities art Prize at MACZUL, where she was awarded 2nd place, and the prestigious Youth with FIA Salon (Ibero-American Art Fair), where she received an honorary mention in 2019.

NATALIA ROCAFUERTE:

Graphic artist and video editor rendering dreams through graphics, installations, films, and print.

Rocafuerte has worked with museums, nonprofits, festivals and brands creating vibrant and exciting graphics, websites, illustration, videos and installations. Most notably Natalia has created commissioned and freelance work for Chulita Vinyl Club, HBO, Giphy, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Wide Awake Creative, United We Dream, Mexic-Arte Museum, Future Traditions Festival, Austin Contemporary and the Automotive Hall of Fame.

Rocafuerte’s recent installation film “Dream of Emma and Tony” was featured and won best “Michigan Filmmaker” at the 59th Ann Arbor Film Festival. Rocafuerte was also featured in Remezcla for "Top 40 Latinx Texas Artists to Know in 2020". Natalia Rocafuerte's studio practice explores using technology as mediums of psychological reflections, immigration, duality, and borders. She grew up on both sides of the Rio Grande Border in Tamaulipas and Texas and became a naturalized US citizen in 2019. Rocafuerte received her Master of Fine Arts at the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor as a Rackham Fellow.