gisela colón_ the fourth state of matter

The Fourth State of Matter

Gisela Colón’s work explores the interconnections between ecofeminism, colonial histories, and the universal forces of nature. Her artistic practice aims to transform the personal into the universal, following an elliptic trajectory that begins with the dawn of time, the primordial light that created life on Earth. Colón traverses the violence of human existence, processing experiences of oppression against humans, animals, and nature, returning cathartically to the natural world in search of answers, utilizing a language of transformative regeneration.

Colón uses her art to address the painful realities of gun violence, feminicide, and collective violence that she witnessed during her youth in Puerto Rico. In her works, she channels these traumatic experiences, transforming them into metaphors of renewal and resilience. By observing and learning from processes of healing and regeneration, Colón has developed an aesthetic that embodies the vitality and strength of natural elements, as exemplified in her monolithic sculptures that symbolize the transformation of ballistics into metamorphic mountains, transformation of ballistics into metamorphic mountains, a holistic ballistics.

The artist appropriates high-tech materials, often associated with military functions, transforming them into vessels of light, life, and transcendence. This transmutation of materials intended for oppression into objects that channel positive energy subverts their original connotations. Through this critical approach, the viewer is challenged to reconsider the relationship between technology and the transformative power of art.

Plasma, the fourth state of matter, reflects her concept of creation under extreme pressure, emerging as incandescent light. Her sculptures capture and refract light, creating structural color that echoes the natural hues found in scarab beetles, abalone shells, and prehistoric mollusks. These elements emphasize the connection between Colón’s art and the primordial history of life on Earth, highlighting the transformation of solar energy into chemical energy as the initial spark of life.

Colón reminds us that all answers come from the natural world. The Earth’s energy and the laws of physics offer a guide on how to mend humanity’s broken paths and return to a balanced symbiosis of coexistence on Earth. Her art serves as a manifesto for the post-Anthropocene, inviting us to reconnect with our universal origins and embrace a future of regeneration with nature.

Marcello Dantas