‘Throughout my entire career, architecture has been the framework I have used to refer to aspects of the human condition that interest me the most, such as its temporality, fragility and terminality. My practice is also a response to the continuous state of flux within the built environment and how such change affects the relationship between human beings and their dwellings. During this talk I will discuss the process of my art and why I choose to work with particular materials (such as turning non-structured materials such as paper and sand into sculptures). I will share why method of working is more important to me than technique. I will also share the concepts surrounding my work and what role my city – Bogota, Colombia – has played in my practice as an artist.’

Maria Fernanda Plata is in Ho Chi Minh City from the 6 October – 1 November, with thanks to the ‘National Incentives Program’ of the Colombian Ministry of Culture who have chosen to partner with ‘San Art Laboratory’ in a 2 year artist-in-residency program. Two Colombian contemporary artists have been chosen from a national call across Colombia, to spend at one month in Ho Chi Minh City in 2014 and 2015. This program understands that to enable artistic exchange via the creation of new work, there must be stimulated dialog between cultures and producers to expand the horizon of critical thinking. San Art looks forward to welcoming our Latin American guests to Vietnam and introducing them to the local artist community.