The Stone in the Snowball is based on Ximena Berecocha’s reading of the novel Fifth Business (1970) by Canadian writer Roberson Davies. This is a continuation of her interest in image and literary intersections by visually materializing her personal reading and interpretation of one of the most notable Canadian novels of the twentieth century. Through this work, Berecocha wants to acknowledge the cultural roots of this country from her diasporic perspective. As a Mexican-Canadian citizen, she delves in the concepts of recognition, assimilation, and interpretation, and she acknowledges and honours the cultural realm of the land that has become her new home. Besides the interest in the structure and the potential of language constantly depicted in her art-work, the use of two forms of expression, in this case, taking a literary work as the foundation for her installation, enables her to question the notions of delimitation and confinement. Berecocha’s hybrid art-work exemplifies—in a formal way—how fostering the exchange between two realms, may expand one’s horizons.
Artist Bio
Ximena Berecochea
Ximena Berecochea is a photo-based artist and her artwork has been published and exhibited at galleries and museums internationally. Parallel to her artistic career, Berecochea holds a PhD in Latin American Literature from the University of Toronto. She has taught literature, language, and visual art courses in Mexico (La Esmeralda, CNA), and Canada (University of Toronto and York University). In both her artwork and academic research she has explored the relations and particularities of text and image. Berecochea is one of the founders of the Institute for Creative Exchange Americas.
Documentation by: Yuula Benivolzki
Berecochea would like to acknowledge the support of the Ontario Arts Council for this exhibition through its Exhibition Assistance program.