LINKING WORLDS

Museo de Arte Moderno, Santo Domingo, DOM
3 May – 18 June 2024
Group Exhibition, curated by Luz Botero

At the Museo de Arte Moderno in Santo Domingo, Simon Berger presented three portraits and a performance dedicated to the Mirabal sisters. The three sisters resisted the Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic. After years of political activism, arrests and imprisonment, they were murdered by the regime, which initially attempted to conceal their deaths. Today, they are remembered internationally as symbols of resistance against dictatorship and violence against women.

In preparation for the works, Berger travelled through the Dominican Republic to engage more deeply with the sisters’ history. He visited their former home and other significant places connected to their lives, tracing their story through the locations in which it unfolded. Along the way, he encountered sculptures, monuments and portraits of the Mirabal sisters, which became important visual references for his own interpretations.

Rather than relying on a single historical image, Berger drew from these different representations to develop three portraits that reflect both the individual women and the collective memory that has formed around them. The works honour Patria, Minerva and María Teresa Mirabal while extending their legacy to all women who have experienced violence.

Alongside the portraits, Berger created an image of an iguana, using the animal as a symbol of strength, resilience and survival. In the context of the three sisters, the iguana becomes a symbolic counterpart to their courage and determination. A reflection of the strength they demonstrated in standing against oppression despite the dangers they faced.

Credits

Museo de Arte Moderno, Santo Domingo

Photography: © NOA contemporary & Nicole Jimenez