CHILE | ITALY
In the world of art where layers of the past meet modern sensibilities, Astrid Fuchslocher finds her unique voice through the technique of analog collage. This talented Chilean-Italian artist and cultural manager, born in the vibrant city of Santiago de Chile, brings us works that are rich in history and deeply personal. With over twenty years of experience in cultural management, Astrid has successfully bridged theory and practice in a way that makes her art exceptionally detailed and thoughtful. Through her works, she explores themes such as death, nostalgia, and feminism, inviting viewers to pause, reflect, and connect with universal human experiences. In this interview, Astrid reveals parts of her soul, her inspirations, and her processes, giving us a glimpse into her world full of layers and symbolism.
Could you introduce yourself and tell us more about the artist behind these beautiful collages?
Who is Astrid Fuchslocher outside of art, and how has your personal journey shaped your artistic career?
I am a 39 year old Chilean-Italian visual artist and cultural manager who was born in Santiago de Chile and has been living in Italy for 3 years. I studied art at The Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, completed 4 diplomas, and in 2016 completed a Master's Degree in Science in Modern and Contemporary Art at the University of Edinburgh, thanks to a scholarship awarded to me by the Chilean government. Since I graduated, I have been working in cultural management for approximately 20 years, which I complement with my artistic practice. A theoretical and practical path that I believe has forged what my art is today: a meticulous, detailed work, with many hours of labor where I try to make the collage shine as a technique and capacity for expression.
Your collages are rich with complex themes and profound messages.
You often explore topics such as death, nostalgia, and feminism. What inspired you to delve into these specific themes through your art?
All the themes I cover in my collages are themes that interest me, move me, and touch me. I think they are collective themes where the viewer can also identify, connect, and in turn reinterpret. With this premise, I am interested in my work inviting people to stop, think, and question any important theme or message (especially in today's world where people live in a rush, living a frenetic life and often also superficial). That is, a work that transmits universal human emotions and experiences, that transcend one's own reality or personal experience and that allows us to connect with our humanity.
The process of collecting various materials and transforming them into rich, layered collages seems meticulously crafted. Can you tell us more about this process and its significance for your work?
Without a doubt, the process of collecting and selecting plays an important role in my work. It is synthesized in a path that begins with the search for material with the aesthetics and themes that interest me, continues with the selection of images, and culminates with the artisanal task of cutting and pasting (which I consider a rather meditative act). A process of several stages and many hours of work that sometimes also leads me to reconsider new themes, reflections, and solutions that I did not initially consider. With this in mind, the material that I find and select, which has already passed through an important filter, is captured in the work through layers but above all through spaces saturated with images, words, and signs with the aim of reflecting the chaos, excess, and over-information behind my ideas, opinions, and questions. In other words, a set that allows, in addition to representing a comprehensive and personal vision of these themes and problems, to produce intersections, dialogues, and re-readings. An ingredient that particularly interests me, since I do not seek to impose my concerns or ideas, but rather for my proposal to be complemented by the viewer's gaze and perception.
In addition to being a successful artist, you have also worked as a cultural manager and curator.How do you balance these different aspects of your career, and do they influence each other?
Yes, I have worked for 20 years as a cultural manager and I have combined theory with practice. I must admit that at some point it was difficult to balance the two things, which is why I left practical art for a few years, but making a final balance I think that this theoretical basis is what has helped me improve my work, give it a better theoretical and conceptual framework, to be more professional when facing the work of a visual artist and, above all, to give me self-management tools (something that is very necessary and that is often difficult when you have an exclusively practical basis).
Your works feature a vintage aesthetic and utilize the technique of analog collage. What drew you to this specific aesthetic and technique?
My last solo exhibition was titled “Anemoia” and I think this term describes my feelings very well: a psychological condition characterized by a feeling of nostalgia or longing for a time or place in the past that has never been experienced. A feeling that identifies me, since I have always felt a bit like that: nostalgic for the past, for customs, for the way of living, of relating, for that simplicity and surrender to circumstances. This is something very personal and I don’t know why it happens to me but honestly I don’t feel comfortable in the era I was born in, with the over-information, the internet, the excess of communication, with the importance given to consumption and material things and above all with how disconnected we are from the essential (although I am also part of that culture and reality). So, answering the question, the past, the old and the vintage undoubtedly reflect something personal and a longing for that time and way of living that no longer exists. On the other hand, collage was the technique that made the most sense to me when it came to expressing these ideas and emotions, since it is precisely the images of that time, the characteristics of the paper, the colors, the messages, the information, and so many other formal and conceptual aspects that appear in that collected and assembled material, which in my opinion ultimately has the ability to teleport us quickly and directly to that space and time. I'm talking about a compilation of cuts that are transfigured into a new imaginary, which is obtained through the integration and conjugation of each of the fragments into a unit, to give way to conceptual works but above all symbolic and metaphorical ones.
Astrid Fuchslocher H. - As time goes by. Analog collage, 35 x 50 cm
Art often conveys powerful messages and emotions.What do you hope your audience feels or thinks when they encounter your collages?
I would like them to stop and think about important themes such as history, changes, different realities, the passage of time, identity, memory, human existence, to name a few. At the same time, I would like them to have an emotional connection with the work, where they feel nostalgia but hopefully also joy and hope. I would like them to be moved by that past, to remember and be transported. If my works manage to make the viewer travel to that other time, connect with the themes mentioned, and move away from contemporary concerns and immediacy, I think I am satisfied.
You have had the opportunity to exhibit at many significant exhibitions. Could you describe one that was particularly meaningful to you and how it influenced your development as an artist?
I would say that “Anemoia” was an important exhibition because, as I was saying, I stopped making art for a few years and at the end of 2022 I returned to the practice with the body of work that I currently make (until about 2014 I painted, did mixed media and collages but with another aesthetic that was often linked to the urban). So this exhibition was significant because it was a personal exhibition that compiled the works of this new stage, more mature, more connected with my emotions, where I enjoy the artistic practice more and I feel more comfortable with the results. Furthermore, being the closing of a stage, it gave me the opportunity to start experimenting with new formats, techniques, and ideas that I hope will translate into interesting and innovative proposals around collage.
Having already achieved much in your career, what are your next steps and goals? What new projects are you currently working on?
I am currently working on new works and exploring new possibilities, techniques, and formats. In addition, I will attend a collage festival in Paris as an exhibitor at the end of September 2024. In parallel, I was selected to do a solo exhibition in Greece, but I am seeing if I can reconcile different aspects of my personal life to do it in 2025. As well, I have been participating in various calls for proposals, so some articles about my work will be published in different contemporary art magazines and I hope that other projects that are currently being evaluated will come to fruition. Finally, my short-term goal is to schedule new solo exhibitions where I can continue sharing my work with the public, internationalize my art, enter an established art circuit with a more solid market that allows me to fully dedicate myself to my artistic practice and, most importantly, continue working and exploring so that my work is a real contribution to the field of visual arts.
Astrid Fuchslocher H. - Patriarchy is Over Analog collage, A3 29.7 x 42 cm, 2022
Through our conversation with Astrid Fuchslocher, it becomes clear that her collages are not just artistic creations, but deeply emotional and intellectual reflections of her life philosophy. Her nostalgia for bygone times and fascination with human experiences provide a richness in the layers of her works, inviting us to connect with our own emotions and memories. As she continues to explore new techniques and formats, Astrid remains dedicated to the goal of making her art a bridge between the past and present, between the personal and the universal. Her work inspires us to pause and reflect, reminding us of the power of art to transform and connect. We look forward to the future works of this remarkable artist and her contributions to the world of visual arts.
Photos: Astrid Fuchslocher H.