Artist

I am an interactive multi-sensory artist living in London since 1996, where I came to do an MA in interactive Multimedia at The London Institute (UAL) 1996-97. I originally come from Caracas, Venezuela where I started developing cross-disciplinary art practices since I was very young (writing, performing and directing TV shows where my cousins will act, every Sunday, with my grandmother as our fan and only audience).

I use the heart as a metaphor and ART IN THE NAME OF LOVE for more than 30 years through publications, video, paintings, drawings, performance, radio and interactive media, exhibiting since 1989 n Brazil (Belem do Pará), Venezuela (Caracas), USA (New York), U.K. (such as the V&A and Portico Gallery in London), Italy (MediARTech-Florence), Finland (Rovaniemi), Germany (Kalsruhe), Estonia (Parnu), Spain (Mediarama-Seville), The Philippines (Daet) and Felipe Carrillo Puerto (Mayan Museum), and in Tepoztlán, (Ex-Convent Museum), Mexico.

My art practice has always been multi-media and cross-disciplinary, since 1989, with my first exhibition ‘Cabellera Suelta’, at an Art Gallery in Caracas, Venezuela. A month of weekend activities, where I collaborated with many other artists under the concept of ‘Letting your hair down’. I organised talks about post modernism with University professors, a dance performance based on my story by an actor, plasticine characters for an animated film, and created an area for visitors to give up one hair to manifest wishes… I showed acrylic and oil paintings in wooden framed boxes, that could be switched on and had light inside, ink drawings, video, a song and music created for my paintings at the opening, and I also a hand written short story on 7 paper sculptures (this story ‘When Seduction Sleeps- Durmiendo La Seducción) was awarded the Miguel Unamuno, Special Mention award, CIV in 1989).

For the past 28 years with the integration of technology, during the MA, I created interactive sensory installations. where I applied the method ‘TRANCE LUDIC HEALING’. TLH is based on NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming), symbolic interaction, game formats (as a powerful tool to improve communication and healing in relationships), and sensory stimulation verbal and non vertbal.

The Interactive Playground ‘Games 2 Love’ allows couples to explore and enhance communication through sensory experiences, from a holistic point of view to get closer and be happier. Friends got together and couples experienced more intimacy.

Performing as Mamasonga, I have exhibited my installations with cutting edge artists like Myron Krueger  (pioneer in Virtual Art) and Prof Masaki Fuhijata (pioneer Interactive Book), in new media art festivals, in London, (1997), in MediARTech, Florence ‘Digital Renaissance’ (1998), and Mediarama, Seville ‘Women and new technologies in 21st Century’ (2001) with success and great response from audience having aroud 25000 people experiencing love, fun and communication through my work, such as ‘The Interactive Bed’, ‘The way I see You’, ‘The Confessional of Love’ and myself interacting with them as a reality game me show love coach-presenter.

My work has been also nominated for Prix Ars Electronica.

I was commissioned to develop WebTV show ‘Mamasonga_my love coach’ (2003) about love, where we streamed live 3 shows of one hour each, with video and flash animations, allowing users to play online with the games and content provided and chat with Mamasonga, asking questions about love and relationships with live DJ.

I also participated with other artists in Elastic Residence ‘Playing Life’ (2004), where I created a multi-sensory space for people to come and improve their relationships or ask for love advice, play games and communicate better with each other. I also had several open studios presenting analog and interactive work (2009).

I exhibited the interactive sensory installation ‘Juegos de Amor’ (‘Games 2 Love’) with DJ mixing live with 8 areas of interaction, performing as Mamasonga for TV pilot, at Museum of Fine Arts in Caracas, Venezuela (June 2010).

I presented the video installation ‘Sensory Connection’ at Portico Gallery in London (Nov 2010), SENSATION exhibition, curated by Chrissy Thirlaway. Participants enjoyed a holographic projection, the scents of relaxation, while wearing 3D glasses and Sensory Love Belts (which stimulates the centre of balance of the body front and back).

To bridge the technology divide and engage audience interaction. THE INTERACTIVE PLAYGROUND: ‘Games 2 Love’ was selected for NEW MEDIA FESTIVAL DAET on Feb 1-6 2011, in The Philippines and presented in a PUBLIC SPACE at Central Plaza Mall. New areas of interaction and games included ‘The Way I see You’, ‘Confessional of Love’, ‘Scents of Seduction’, ‘Sensory Connection’ with Sensory Love Belts, ‘Play Interactive Partners’ and ‘Build your Love and Relationship Profile’ online.

I also gave workshops on interactivity and communication to 250 elementary school children (7-12 years of age), 250 Secondary School teenagers (13-15 years of age) and 30 College Students (17-23) in Daet, Philippines.

Couples and people interested in love and friendship could explore their relationship, likes, and dislikes, and learn to love and respect each other through playful and interactive sensory experiences (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, taste, smell and sense of humour). Like the Sensory Love Belts at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. (Nov 2011)

I used to be a member of South London Women Artists and had a studio at Space-Vauxhall St. in London (which was taken away for a new commercial development). I work from home now, which has become my healing space and  studio. In the past 9 years I have been travelling between Mexico and London, due to an art residency I was awarded in 2015, by the Secretary of External Relations (SRE) in Mexico during the UK/Mex dual year.

As a radio presenter, I spoke about how art in the name of love and romance, can help in creating better relationships. Performing as Mamasonga, I have reached a multicultural audience, communicating in both Spanish and English from Sept 2010 to March 2011.

“When you speak from your heart there is always another heart open to listen.”

Here I it is the film HUARIME, A Piaroa celebration ,about their Cosmogony and connection with nature, as a student, I learned from Shaman Bolivar, of 11 years of age, in the Venezuelan Amazon, Alto de Carinagua (He passed away 2 years later at 113 years of age). He is the Chief and Spiritual Leader of the Piaroa, they called themselves Huottuja, the lords of the jungle. Together with this wife, Elena, they come from an unbroken lineage of native medicine men and women.

https://vimeo.com/157075195

In 2016, 2017 an 2018, I exhibited ANCESTRAL HEARTBEAT, a Multi-sensory Installation that embodies oral tradition of Mexican culture through the Elders, to inspire new generations to value the wisdom our ancestors.  With four areas of interaction: SACRED MANTA (Sacred Blanket), with Interactive HEART Inspiration (using sound that activates by touching the image made by an Elder on the ‘Rebozo’- shawl), BODY BALANCE WITH SCENT OF 4 ELEMENTS (Water, Air, Earth and Fire) and the short film ANCESTRAL DANCEBEAT,, which was premiered at Migrations Europa Exchange Festival, at Round chapel in Hackney2016). Here are the videos of the isntallation at the museum Ex-convent in tepoztlán, Mexico. https://vimeo.com/209506303

And the Blog. http://latidoancestral.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/interactive-multisensory-invitation_22.html

Check the video ANCESTRAL DANCEBEAT on https://vimeo.com/156800552

I received the Special Mention, Miguel de Unamuno award from the Iberoamerican House of Venezuela, 1992 with the short story ‘Seduction sleeps’ (Durmiendo La Seducción). The story was published in the Sunday Literary Paper of the daily newspaper  El Nacional.

I became a published author in 1992 by Grijalbo/ Mondadori ‘In the Arms of Eros’ 1992 ( Erotic short stories Anthology) and ‘Secrets of Seduction for Lovers Like Us’ published by Grijalbo, in 1996, both in Spanish and the latest republished in 2021. One of my other piece of writing, which reflect the theme and nature of my interactive work, is Stop kissing Frogs and Snakes. Most recently I have been developing characters that are illustrated in comic strips and belong to the Victimina Series. About the connections with nature,

I created the Spirits of Trees Series, which are photographs transferred into textile and then using embroidery.

They have turned into bags so they can become a mobile installation.

I have also experimented about IDENTITY with photo-embroidery, as my facebook account was hacked and suspended.

And the website from (wooloo.org) for artists to display our work, with photos and videos, and chronology of exhibitions and residencies, was suddenly and deleted without any warning.

I suddenly lost all what I had carefully uploaded to have a track record of my work, and lost it without explanation or ways to recover the data.

I thought I needed to find myself in that space or void, and asked Andrés Landino, portrait photographer, to work with me to reconnect with another side of myself that was asking to start anew.

Let’s see where this takes me.

I developed an IDENTITY series.