WHAT'S UP: - UREA/OVERGROWN - ongoing cofounded project by PUCE and n24 gallery. February 2026
A variety of plants, including chancapiedra, commonly used in Latin America to relieve the pain of kidney stones, take the role of a protagonists—yet codependent—entities in this project. The plants receive all the necessary care through an artificial system: water, light, fertile soil, a whispering voice, and the subtle dosing of urea stones are all administered by a digital program that, in turn, observes me as an ill source of biometric data, that will slightly alter and improve the plant's wellness.
My peristaltic movements, the swelling, discomfort, digestive and renal crises—those things that sound unpleasant but remain private, vulnerable, intimate even in a context where everything is shared and published, where human data is preserved by companies, banks, and institutions as valuable information.
This is something (painful) I can still offer to what I’m supposed to benefit from; an offering.
The work takes shape as a set of borosilicate glass pieces resembling organs, monstrous teeth/flowers, and overgrown fauna; recipients, macets and somehow visceral-like objects. For this project, I ventured into learning glassblowing, ceramics, woodworking, and the integration of my own background in programming, 3D modeling, and digital fabrication techniques.
ERNESTO SALAZAR RODRÍGUEZ - ARTIST