10 Questions with Fina Ferrara

Fina Ferrara is a Mexican performance and video artist. She started her artistic career as a professional classical ballet dancer at the age of 10. Seeking to exploit her interpretative skills, she incorporates contemporary dance and theatre into her training later in her career. Exploring movement is a fundamental element in her work. In 2010, she decided to step out of the stage and interact intimately with the audience, performing in art galleries, museums, and art fairs, in tandem with producing video art as her second, yet strong, form of expression. As a multidisciplinary artist, she creates sculpture, photography, painting, installation, and original music pieces for her work, collaborating with other artists as well.

Her work has been exhibited in London, Paris, New York, Venice, Rome, Madrid, Marbella, Turkey, Colombia, Brazil, Chicago, and, of course, Mexico. She has been awarded the Power of Creativity Art Prize and Faces of the Peace Art Prize by Contemporary Art Curator Magazine, in 2021 and 2022 respectively, the International Prize Leonardo da Vinci, The Universal Artist, in 2023, and selected as one of the Top Contemporary Artists to watch in 2024 by Contemporary Art Curator Magazine.

www.finaferrara.com | @fina_ferrara

ARTIST STATEMENT

Disturbed by how human boundaries are often penetrated through interactions with others, violence, hatred, and abuse are stepping stones in her performances. Through expelling these emotions, Fina questions life and social standards, highlighting our areas of discomfort.

For Fina, performance is an ongoing act of collective self-evolution.

INTERVIEW

You work with different mediums and disciplines. Tell us a little about your background and how you developed into the artist you are today.

My artistic journey began at the tender age of 10 as a classical ballet dancer, where I discovered my passion for movement and interpretation. As I grew and developed my skills, I realized I could enhance my artistic expression by combining different disciplines and techniques. This led me to incorporate contemporary dance and theatre into my training. It was at the age of 26 that I first encountered the magic of video production, providing me the ability to capture everyday movements in synchrony with musical rhythms. This has become a fundamental aspect of my work, allowing me to create remarkable visual pieces.
In essence, my artistic journey has been one of exploration, experimentation, and growth. 

You started as a classical ballet dancer. How did this discipline help you and influence your practice as a performer and artist?

Being a classical ballet dancer is a double-edged sword, as you are constantly striving for perfection and can never be fully satisfied. On the one hand, it is a positive attribute, but on the other hand, it can become your own prison, as nothing you do is ever enough. In performance art, I found a way to break free from these limiting beliefs and discover self-love and acceptance through my own expression and work. In a way, performance art allowed me to escape the confines of classical dance and find my own artistic voice.  

How would you define yourself as an artist nowadays? And how did your art evolve over the years?

I define myself as a performer and video artist. The pivotal moment for me was when I realized that true connection with the audience was not something that could be achieved from a distance on stage but rather required a deeper level of intimacy and vulnerability. Allowing my body, my breath, and even my sweat to merge with that of the audience, created a raw and authentic exchange that transcended the boundaries of the stage. This shift towards intimate interaction opened up new realms of creativity and expression for me and has since become an integral part of my artistic practice. 

You are a multidisciplinary artist working with sculpture, photography, painting, and installation and producing original music pieces. How do you choose which medium works better for a certain project? 

I would rather say I use the elements I have at hand to shape the performance, whether it be the performing space or the artist I am collaborating with; medium is not the determining factor in my creative process. However, one constant element in my work is the music, or lack thereof, as it sets the rhythm and timing for the flow and evolution of the performance. Music is a very important part of my life. Additionally, video is another crucial element in my work, often serving as a prologue or introduction to the performance itself. 

What are the main themes behind your work? And what messages would you like to convey to the viewers?

My work is centered around challenging the ideas that restrict us and impede our emotional growth and well-being. I aim to provoke the viewer into questioning their own limiting beliefs and societal conditioning, encouraging them to step outside their comfort zones and embrace new ways of thinking and being.  
I seek to ignite a collective consciousness that transcends the boundaries of social structures and conditioning, creating a space in which we can collectively explore the boundless potential of the human spirit and the transformative power of art. 

What aspect of your work do you pay particular attention to?

Every little detail is important.

Where do you find inspiration for your work, and what is your creative process like? 

Inspiration is usually born out of discomfort, the kind that gnaws at your insides and demands to be reckoned with. Instead of shying away from it, I lean into my discomfort, using it as a launching pad for my artistic explorations. Through a process of intense self-inquiry and introspection, I endeavor to uncover the root of my discomfort and translate it into a performance. It is through this process of channeling my emotions and experiences into my own work that I am able to transcend my own limitations and connect with the audience on a profound and meaningful level.

We witnessed many changes in the art world and generally in our society in the past few years. Did you find any positive change in people's approach to your art now?

Absolutely! There appears to be a growing hunger for experiences that challenge and transform us on a deeper level, experiences that tap into the sensitive, unfiltered aspects of being human. I believe this fact reflects the lack of empathy we have towards each other in this individualistic world where pursuing your own benefit seems to be the only thing that matters.

Are you working on any new projects right now? Any exciting project or collaboration you would like to share with our readers?

Always working, indeed. I am very excited about a project with Pablo George-Nascimento. To honor the memory of the legendary Editorial Nascimento, the publishing house that launched the career of the first two Nobel Literature Prize winners in Latin America, including the great Gabriela Mistral, together we are planning a performance to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first publication of Mistral's poetry book DESOLACIÓN. Keep yourself posted, as we are planning to unleash a fascinating experience towards the end of this year!

Finally, what are your plans for the future? What do you think (and wish) the future holds for us?

As an artist, I am constantly inspired by the natural world and the beauty it holds. However, it deeply concerns me to see how our world is becoming more and more polluted, threatening the very existence of the ecosystems and species that we share this planet with. That's why I yearn for a collective shift in consciousness, one that prioritizes living in harmony with nature and recognizes the urgent need to preserve our environment. Moving forward, I plan to continue making art that reflects these values and hope to inspire others to join me in this important mission.