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Video Projections

A glass of fruit (2016) is a video referencing a painting by Caravaggio, who pioneered a new perspective on objects depicted at table level. Working with the limitations of gravity and the sculptural possibilities of water, Alejandro Almanza Pereda decided to shoot his still-life scenes underwater and play with perspective. In a double scene divided by a glass sheet, different objects and fruits simultaneously float and sink. These compositions—seemingly unstable, immaterial, or on the cusp of disaster—are governed by a singular, uncanny logic, highlighting our affective relationships with objects and the cultural memories they evoke.

Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all (2015) is a video of a still life that falls apart—or rather, floats apart—as the composition proves unstable and constantly morphing. An impossible attempt at achieving a fixed state, this work shows some objects remaining buoyant while others sink, constantly tilting the overall scale and arrangement. Properties of weight, mass, and shape seem to have their own will, but a hand appears in the scene, pushing back against these mysterious forces.

The video Melon, carrot, lettuce, kohlrabi, pear (2016) is a version of Juan Sánchez Cotán’s 1602 painting Quince, Cabbage, Melon, and Cucumber, set in motion. The painting depicts groceries in a cantarero, an early form of refrigerator in which food was stored—sometimes hanging from strings. Similarly, in the video, a cantarero frames the objects as they struggle to maintain their balance. They move almost imperceptibly, only to suddenly disappear from view. Mesmerized by music after a motive by 16th-century composer Antonio de Cabezón, viewers slowly realize that the objects in the video are submerged underwater.

Bio

Living between Mexico and the United States, Alejandro Almanza Pereda explores how different cultures perceive danger and risk. His work challenges materiality through sculptures, underwater photographs, and videos, focusing on the tension created by juxtaposing objects with connotations of fragility, value, and power. By pairing unexpected materials, he subverts architectural, emotional, and cultural hierarchies, often questioning the viewer’s assumptions.

Almanza Pereda holds a Master’s degree in Arts from Hunter College, New York, and has exhibited solo shows at institutions like the San Francisco Art Institute, Museo El Eco (Mexico City), and Art in General (New York). His work has been featured in the Istanbul Biennial, Museo de Arte Moderno (Mexico City), and Dublin Contemporary. He has attended residencies at Skowhegan and Bemis and received numerous grants, including from the Smithsonian and CIFO. His work has also appeared in Art21's Close Up series.