To accompany her selection of artworks from the Christen Sveaas Art Foundation, PORTAL DE PLATA, which translates as 'the silver gate’, artist Donna Huanca has created an installation beginning with a large blue painted wall pierced by an assortment of antique silver spoons dating from the 16th and 17th centuries. For Huanca, the significance of this gesture is twofold. The spoons themselves are a reference to her Bolivian heritage and local folklore that describe the shape of spoons as representative of the womb. Huanca’s spoons, however, are inverted – a spear rather than a receptacle, refusing utility by jutting out of the wall. The silver material and collection histories of the objects are themselves significant. Silver mining was a crucial part of the colonial economy in Bolivia, and it is still home to some of the largest silver mines in the world. Between the 16th and 18th centuries, 80% of the world’s silver supply came from the ‘CERRO RICO’ mine in Potosi, the birthplace of the artist’s father. Huanca’s spoon-pierced wall weaves together broader histories of European colonial wealth accumulation, exploitation, and resource extraction with her personal family history. Plan your visit to PORTAL DE PLATA today and find out more by following the #linkinbio