‘Everlasting Love’ by Noemi Iglesias

A multidisciplinary Spanish artist, Noemi Iglesias – born in Langreo in 1987 – uses analogies to show how human sentimental connections survive an increasingly digitalised and individualistic social reality. Her ‘Everlasting Love’ exhibition at Las Rozas Village complements her ‘Love Me Fast’ exhibition, on display at the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum until 28 April. ‘Love Me Fast’ features some twenty pieces in a variety of media, many of which in porcelain, that speak of romantic and idealised love on a plane of consumerist happiness. We spoke to Noemi Iglesias to understand her creative universe and her vision of art today.

Floral motifs are very present in your work, what emotions and messages do they convey?

Flowers help to express emotional language very well. After all, giving flowers – to show love or affection – is almost an international language. Since I learned the porcelain technique in China in 2017, I found it a very special vehicle to adapt it to my discourse and explore the symbolism of flowers beyond the decorative language.

As a multidisciplinary artist, which technique do you most identify with?

Although I also work with photography and engraving, porcelain flowers are something like my personal brand. Not many artists use the technique of porcelain in the same way. Long-term performances are characteristic of my work, too. One example is Quarantine, where the work is the process of forty days of dating different users through Tinder. The end result is the witness that I’ve been playing a role all that time.

What three colours do you have to include in your works’ palettes?

Black, red and pink.

Which piece would you highlight in your exhibition 'Love Me Fast' at the Thyssen and why?

Without a doubt, the piece that gives the exhibition its title is the Love Me Fast illuminated poster. It's difficult for me to choose just one, as what I’d really highlight are the conversations that take place between my works and the pieces in the museum – for example, with Vouet's The Abduction of Europa.

Your exhibition 'Everlasting Love' is now on view at Las Rozas Village – what can we expect from it?

The Village isn’t a museum, so the surprise factor is key. Few people expect a contemporary art installation in a context that’s not necessarily linked to art.

What does it mean to show your work in an open-air space that’s accessible to everyone?

It's a challenge – adapting installations to an alternative space like the Village’s streets isn’t easy. But at the same time, this also means generating more organic interactions, because when you visit a museum, you are predisposed to see art, but here the surprise factor will make the reactions more sincere.

Regarding women artists, do you think art history’s discourse follows a patriarchal narrative?

Absolutely. More works are still bought from male artists than from female artists and there’s still a higher percentage of male artists represented by galleries and museums. On a practical level, for there to be parity, it’s necessary to invest in works by women artists, as this is the only way for an artist to continue to develop – not just as a one-off communication tool, but all year round.

How do you see the present and the future and do you consider that new generations of women have more visibility in the art world? 

More than being optimistic or pessimistic about the future, I'm an observer. By this what I mean is that I see, analyse and try to form an opinion. Having said that, in Spain, we are more aware than in other places where I’ve lived, such as Belgium or Greece. Here, I think there are many more initiatives to get the message across and make it effective.

Who are three artists who have influenced your way of interpreting the world?

Sophie Calle, a French artist who also performs, was one of my first influences at university. I really like Sarah Lucas because she uses a very sarcastic and direct language, but with humour. And a colleague of hers, Tracy Emin, who also deals with the theme of emotions, but with a pop culture language through neon signs.

Can you define the following concepts in one word?

Beauty? Harmony. Love? Crazy. Flower? Porcelain. Creativity? Necessary. Dream? Sea. Nostalgia? Lisbon.