I Believe That We Lack Education And Market Spaces. Rita Soto interviewed by Klimt02

Tell us about your background. What were your first influences to be creative and become an artist and what has drawn you to contemporary jewellery?
 My first influences were in my house, my jeweler father, so I grew up between the workshop, torches and metals, I fell in love with the infinite tools, the transformation of metal and fire. As a child I always played creating figures in different materials, wood, leather, fabrics, models, sculptures and when I was older I decided to study Industrial Design with the idea of giving life and use to my creations. Genetics were stronger and it took me one way or another to the jeweler's bench to continue learning from new teachers and teaching this trade. On the other hand, I worked for many years from Design with communities of artisans, mainly handicrafts in basketwork of various fibers, that is how my passions crossed and mixed, learning traditional techniques and knowledge and experimentation with fibers unleashed this new world creative, these textile creatures bearing stories, technique and craft.
 
 
How important is networking for you in your professional practice and what are your preferred tools for this?
Today I believe that the generation of contact networks, linking, using and promoting them are fundamental.
I think that the instances of circuits, fairs, meetings and biennials for example have been instances that have triggered other collaborative works of relevance for artists. Spaces where you can show your work, where you can get to know the work of others and understand the dynamics and functioning of Contemporary Jewelry, I believe that in art jewelry its organic is a fabric.
For example, in my case I belong to a jewelry association, Joyabrava, which was created after a jewelry symposium in Mexico where Chilean jewelers met and took the initiative to organize. During my time as president of joyabrava there were 4 years where the bet was to be present with work in international meetings and fairs and to make Chilean jewelry and its Latin American look known. And this was essential, knowing the circuit as Munich Jewellery Week, Legnica Jewellery Festival Silver, Autor, Joya Barcelona. These links have made it possible for today in my case to continue participating individually knowing the circuit.
For example, today in Pandemic this has become relevant to take the networks and connect us virtually, generating a very particular closeness, because artists have dared to speak to show our creative spaces to go beyond the work.
 
 
 
What are your general thoughts on the contemporary jewellery world, (education, market, development...), where do you see chances and where are dead ends?
From my perspective as a Latin American artist, I believe that we lack education and market spaces, so many times we focus on Europe or the US to study or sell. Also considering that the market is niche and very specific. There is pending work to educate a public, to democratize culture and art, I say this because in Chile access to culture and art is different.
Today after the pandemic and the quarantine, access to teaching spaces and virtual fairs have been given, for example, which is very relevant because it is made more accessible, at a lower cost and more expansive.
 
 
Thinking about your career, what role do technology and the digital play in your artistic development & communication?
Technology and digital are essential in the communication of my work, photography and video open a world of possibilities and platforms are essential to disseminate, Today what I occupy the most is Instagram, because it has allowed me to create a daily record of the process and construction of work that is very intuitive, spontaneous and close.
It is interesting how institutions have been replaced by APPs and how we move in both circuits.
I also think that the interview and LIVE formats that these platforms provide us have been very nourishing in my development, which have allowed us to directly access people, artists, writers, philosophers, creators, etc., who open their spaces to us where We can interact, talk, ask, see gestures, faces, looks that change our perception of a subject or a character, it is the most human that technology allows us in these days of isolation and distance.
 
 
How has your work changed over the past few years and what are you excited about these days?
My work in recent years has taken a gigantic turn. The first steps were of learning and technical challenge to have the tools with which to shape the imagination. When you dare to navigate intimate territories, untangle them, understand them, and shape them, materialize them, it is an exquisite exercise that opens up a world of possibilities for knowledge and expression. That was my next challenge and it was a very healing work in a personal way. Today I am moved by other issues such as my position as a Latin American woman, how to be a politician in the face of the times and context of what is experienced in the south of the south.
As Néstor García Canclini says: There is a responsibility of post-pandemic Art to reinstall the capacity for wonder to resignify inhabit, balance means and opportunities. And I think that's my next personal challenge in community.