Cartography of Self-Discovery: The Intimate Work of Marina Schroeder

By Nathalia Cruz

One of the facets of Marina Schroeder that initially presented itself to me was that of an architect responsible for producing grandiose weddings. And as someone who works orchestrating behind the scenes for months, I imagine the "artist Marina" behind the events professional as a subtle presence, an essential observer, deeply knowledgeable about people's intimacy. It was so close that it went unnoticed, a perfect setting for what was to come next. ​

I believe that the exercise of observation, in itself, was the beginning of an artistic process that, together with his previous experience in painting and his studies in contemporary art, led Schroeder to challenge himself and risk something different. ​

A new point of creation emerged with the resumption of his artistic practice that began in the 90s and focused solely on painting. However, now in a more daring way, in line with a different vision of herself and the world, in which, as well as in her introspective and reflective exercise of observation in events, she sought hidden layers that would direct her creation in search of authenticity and of self-perception, with painting being just another means of this investigation.

At the heart of Schroeder's trajectory, intimacy emerged as a central element of his research, revealing itself as one of the possible paths to access the essence of being. Marina began to investigate the unexplored territories of intimacy - her own and that of others - seeking to go beyond apparent surfaces. Consider surfaces: walls, skins, screens, fungal colonies, etc. Micro and macro containers of life organizations that cohabit our daily lives, but are not always seen by the naked eye or by consciousness. ​

In a symbolic way, the syntax of these elements portrays the questioning of the surface. There is a central question about what is human, what is the limit, the frontier of being. And it seems that whenever the artist encounters this border, there is a displacement, an expansion, a change of perspective, which aims to encourage the viewer to explore their own complexity and embrace their concerns. ​

Each work that emerges from this artistic practice becomes a fragment of an intimate cartography of discoveries.

Furthermore, a distinctive feature of his current work is the diversity of media used. The artist manipulates a wide range of forms of expression, from painting, drawing in ink, pastel, ballpoint pen, charcoal, to photography, objects and artistic actions. Experimenting with materials such as plaster, for example, adds a tactile and three-dimensional dimension to his creations, resulting in a sensorial and conceptual richness. Vibrant colors, organic shapes and varied textures result from a creation process rooted in the search for delicacy, so that the artist creates a welcoming space to make her work a semantic place conducive to contemplation and personal transformation. ​

Beyond words, Marina Schroeder's work invites us to live a poetic experience capable of awakening reflections about ourselves and our place in the world. Her voice resonates as a call to explore beyond the surface of our everyday lives, reminding us of the importance of art as a means of revealing and strengthening our connection to inner reality and transcending.