Artist María Berrío: Spirit in the Land

María Berrío: Spirit in the Land is a 5-minute video about the artist María Berrío, whose work is part of the exhibition Spirit in the Land. In this interview, viewers visit the artist’s Brooklyn studio, where she talks about making 50 hummingbirds for a work called Joyas Voladoras. The camera pans across several of her hummingbirds, collaged with Japanese paper on linen. Viewers learn about Berrío’s inspiration for this work and why she embarked on this project during the COVID-19 global pandemic. This video also features her work Syzygy, which entered the Nasher Museum’s collection in 2017.

This exhibition is organized by Trevor Schoonmaker, Mary D.B.T. and James H. Semans Director, Nasher Museum.

Lead support for Spirit in the Land is provided by the Ford Foundation.

Major support for Spirit in the Land is provided by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.

This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.

At the Nasher, Spirit in the Land is supported by the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation; The Duke Endowment; the Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family Fund for Exhibitions; the Frank Edward Hanscom Endowment Fund; the Janine and J. Tomilson Hill Family Fund; Katie Thorpe Kerr and Terrance I. R. Kerr; Alexandria and Kevin Marchetti; Parker & Otis; Lisa Lowenthal Pruzan and Jonathan Pruzan; and Caroline and Arthur Rogers.

Special Thanks
María Berrío, artist

Images of María Berrío’s work reproduced with permission.

Credits

María Berrío, Joyas Voladoras (detail), 2021. Collage with Japanese paper on linen, 9 x 12 inches (22.9 x 30.5 cm). Courtesy of the artist and Victoria Miro. © María Berrío.

María Berrío, Syzygy, 2017. Collage with Japanese paper and watercolor on canvas, 80 x 96 inches (203.2 x 243.8 cm). Collection of the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University. Gift of Nancy A. Nasher (J.D.’79, P’18, P’22) and David J. Haemisegger (P’18, P’22), 2018.7.1. © Maria Berrio. Image courtesy of Praxis Gallery, New York. Photo by Peter Paul Geoffrion.

John James Audubon, Ruff-necked Hummingbird from the portfolio Birds of America, 1837. Hand-colored engraving with aquatint and etching on paper. Collection of the Nasher Museum of Art. Gift of the Richard B. Anderson Family Foundation; 2016.9.50.

Stock footage of hummingbirds in the wild.

Video Production Team
Videographer and Editor: J Caldwell
Producer and Videographer: Wendy Hower
Head of Graphic Design: Joel P. Johnson