Frieda Toranzo Jaeger is an artist whose modular paintings and installations envision a future marked by queer freedom, an ecological communion with nature, and the creation of joyful and convivial spaces. The project for the Biennale Arte expands the artist’s interest in cars, embroidery traditions, mural painting, and Western religious altars, guiding the audience through the experiences of marginalised communities in their resistance against colonial and gender issues. The artist’s fascination with machines, especially electric cars, originates from perceiving them as inherently feminine, inspiring utopian fantasies. Toranzo Jaeger accentuates the sensuality of surfaces while also creating tension through references in her work. The piece nods to the Flower Seller (1941) by Diego Rivera and Juan O’Gorman’s mural at the UNAM library (1949–1952). Additionally, the artwork pays homage to Sappho (ca. 630–604 BCE), the renowned Greek poet from the island of Lesbos, celebrated as a queer symbol for her emotionally charged poetry directed towards other women. The exaggerated size of the artist’s signature not only parodies the traditionally male authorship associated with painting but also reclaims that space for a queer female voice.
This is the first time the work of Frieda Toranzo Jaeger is presented at Biennale Arte.
—Amanda Carneiro
