Amelia Toledo explores the nature of things, akin to a scientist dissecting matter to reveal its constructive potentials. She works with painting, sculpture, jewelry, and interventions in public spaces. Using geometric, regular, and curved elements, she developed an interest in natural forms in the 1970s. The intersection between art and science is fundamental in her work, which extends beyond the established conventions of Brazilian modern art. In Mine, the viewer is prompted to move away from their vertical position and lean over the artwork placed on the floor. A polished stainless steel cylinder, featuring a matte exterior and a reflective interior, defines the space containing yellow Jasper stones along the edges and red Jasper stones in the center. Covering the entire area, the stones create a multiplying and resolution-losing effect as they reflect on the steel surface. The kinetic effect, caused both by the industrial material and the arrangement of the natural elements, evokes the sensation of looking into a deep hole. Like a dive towards infinity, the artist directs our gaze to a small fraction of the underground world, exploring the construction of a "place." The work’s spatiality emerges through the arrangement of things and the sensory and psychological connections experienced by the viewer.
— Leandro Muniz, assistent curator, MASP, 2023
