BIO
Maria Constanza Ferreira is a Venezuela/Portuguese/American video and installation artist based in Porto. Her works have been showcased at places such as Times Square Midnight Moment, Konstpaus (public exhibit organized by the Municipal Department of Art of Stockholm), Monstra Animation Festival & Punto y Raya Festival “100 years of Portuguese Abstract Animation”, Indielisboa Film Festival, MoMA PS1, The Exploratorium Museum in San Francisco, and at New York University Abu Dhabi Art Gallery. In Porto, Ferreira participated in group exhibitions such as ARTES - Mota Galiza, Mármol’s “Uncertain Neighbors”, as well as having a published studio visit from Galeria Municipal do Porto. This year she was one the three jury members for CERN’s Cineglobe where she also exhibited her installation Crystal Landscapes. Additionally in 2024, Ferreira showcased her films and artworks at MONSTRA Animation Festival, where she gave a masterclass. In 2023, with the support of the Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, Ferreira created a series of artistic projects that are currently exhibited at Casa de la Ciencia in Sevilla and will also be showcased at El Parque de La Ciencia in Granada. From 2019 to 2020, Ferreira was awarded a year-long residency in the chemistry laboratory of the Kahr Research Group at New York University, funded by the National Science Foundation of the United States. She was the recipient of the GLAS Animation Festival Grant, the singular grant of its kind for independent animators in the United States, in addition to receiving two nominations for Vimeo’s Best of the Year Films. Ferreira earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design in Film/Animation/Video.
CURRENT
Aug. 2024 - Feb. 2025︎ Artworks Artistic Residency “NoEntulho”
UPCOMING
Sep. 14︎ 20th WFAF World Festival of Animated Film in Varna, Bulgaria
Sep. 20 - 21
︎ LES NUITS DES BASSINS in Arras, France
LINK TO CV
ARTIST STATEMENT
My art practice incorporates various forms of fine art and digital media to explore the imperceptible—images, objects, materials, traditions, and practices that are disconnected from every-day life or that are so prevalent they become unseen. My work draws attention to these forms and reimagines their meaning usually through some process of abstraction and interaction with technology. I have engaged with various scientific fields and utilized machines such as satellites, microscopes, scanners, and other unique scientific imaging techniques to explore microscopic and macroscopic landscapes. My work with crystallography examines the self-generative properties of synthetic crystals and experiments with the interaction between materials and light.
Throughout my practice, light exists as a fundamental physical element and metaphorical theme. Through the use of film, chemistry, and materials exploration, I study and experiment with the physical properties of light. And I utilize light as a conceptual framework to explore more personal themes related to spiritualism and uncovering hidden collective and personal histories. Ultimately, I am interested in the use of art as a means of exploring and preserving cultural traditions and memories whilst exploring important questions about how people relate to their surrounding cultural and material landscapes.