Sallisa Rosa on Memory, Clay, and Her Audemars Piguet Commission

Brazilian artist Sallisa Rosa discusses her Audemars Piguet Contemporary commission, 'Topography of Memory,' held in Miami from December 5–17, 2023, in collaboration with guest curator Thiago de Paula Souza. The immersive installation features around 100 handmade ceramic pieces, using clay collected from various regions of Brazil. Rosa explains that clay stores memories of the land, history, and organic material, and she adds her own memories and those of her family through a coiling process. She works with a community of artisans she has collaborated with since 2019. The installation will travel to Pinacoteca de São Paulo from March 16 to July 28, 2024, creating a connection between North and South America. Rosa notes that the commission allowed her to think big and broaden her practice, marking her first solo exhibition in the US. The work is free to enter and designed to be a meditative space away from modern stimulation.