Berlin, are you ready for a fresh and talented artist?
Hi Victoria, I visited your first solo exhibition – 21 windows project – in Berlin and I have to say that I’m positively surprised. Not only that the quality of paintings is very good, but I really respect that a young girl from Mexico, was able to organize her own exhibition in Berlin. I’m sure that it had to be hard, because this city is known for being one of the art capitals and I can imagine, that there is lot of competition among the artists. Especially the young ones…

Victoria, painter, foto by: 21 windows project

• How did you manage to organize the exhibition?
Well, you are right when you say there are many artists out there in Berlin, but I never really thought about that. I thought it to be a personal challenge that essentially had nothing to do with the art scene but with me getting something done – which at the moment didn´t seem to be doable. That was really what kept the project going. I´m not a competitive person in that sense, I always do things to satisfy myself and to prove me wrong. About the organization of the exhibition, I happened to be surrounded by very clever, loving and supporting people and each one of them brougt their own talent and excitement to the table in order to get this done. They handled things, which I´m not good at, the best they could. That makes it a collective happening.

• The exhibition is called “21 windows project.”. Can you present it in more details?
First of all, I am a little bit supersticious, my lucky number is 21 so it felt right to use it. About “windows”: when you go to a museum or just look at a painting, you will probably see a still scene, posing characters or whatever. I´m more into sory telling, as I love the movies and I also make my own movies in my head. I though that each painting should be like a window through which you are looking at something that is happening in that very moment, e.g. you come and look in the middle of a dialog, or motion or temporary situation. I use comical language too, but it´s weird because I actually don´t read or even like comics, but I do like and admire street art, and this is somehow comical. Of course, I love calligraphy too and street art has it all over. I basically paint anyting that I find interesting, things I talk about, things I dream about, things that catch my eye in the street. Even the words that come constantly to my mind, spirituality, politics, religion, etc. But I always try to make sure, I´m not painting something with no message in it.

• Where and until when can people visit your exhibition?
People can come until the 4th of August. The exhibition is on Rigaer straße 9, 10247 Berlin. I´ll see, if I can make it stay a couple of days more 🙂

• What are your artistic plans for the future? Are you planning to stay in Berlin?
I´m not going to stay in Berlin for too long. I might leave in November because I have another crazy dream since I was 6 years old. I want to live and be a painter in Paris. Sometimes I see it as impossible to happen, but this could be another perfect opportunity to prove myself wrong. I´m sure I will always be a painter, but I have many things that interest me, photography, cinema etc. And I´ll do something about it too.

• And now a bit about your travel/living experience. I know that you lived in several countries. You are from Mexico, where you grew up and studied art. You also studied in Spain (Salamanca) and now you live in Berlin. If you could characterize each of the places where you lived, what is so special about them for you?
Mexico is my crazy country. I love it, especially the people who live there. I´m not a nationalist, but I can tell that many characteristics of my personality are quite Mexican. For example my persistence. Or I find it boring to eat things that have no chilli in it. Spain is the mother land, as they call it in Mexico. I always loved the passion of their music and their accent. I had many strong experiences in all senses when I lived in Spain, in Salamanca and in Granada. It´s a place that gave me a lot and forced me to change, but I guess it was the experiences, right? Not the place it self. I love Berlin with all my heart, every day I love it even more. I don´t think I will ever dettach myself from it. When I’ll be living in Paris I will always find an excuse to come back to Berlin. I love German people, I think living here has educated me a lot and I admire the tolerance in Berlin.

• Do you have a dream place where you want to exhibit your paintings one day?
The Vatican, the White House and the Kremlin. If I can´t make it alive afterwards, you can call it a successful art career. For now, I´m ok on Rigaer strasse 🙂

Thank you very much. I wish you all the best in the future and lots of great exhibitions around the world 🙂

These are my 3 favorite paintings, you can see more on 21 windows project facebook page.

WINDOW N. 4 “HEY BLUE, HERE IS A SONG FOR YOU” 2012 100CM/100CM (for sale), foto by: 21 windows project

WINDOW N. 9. “DAYDREAMING” 2012 80CM/70CM (sold), foto by: 21 windows project

WINDOW N. 9. “DAYDREAMING” 2012 80CM/70CM (sold), foto by: 21 windows project

About Victoria: Victoria Ruiz-Ortiz is a Mexican artist/painter living in Berlin since April 2012. She studied in her hometown, Zacatecas, Mexico, at the local art academy ‘Julio Ruelas’ in 2006, later moving to live in Mexico City in 2007 to continue studying for two years at the nationally renowned art academy ‘Real Academia Nacional De San Carlos’. There she completed a degree in Theoretical Arts at a private art gallery. During this period, Victoria exhibited her work in three collaborative exhibitions. She then moved back to her hometown in 2009, where she worked on several projects as an artist in residence, completing her degree in Theoretical Cinematography at a public institution. She moved in 2010 to Salamanca, Spain, where she began studying Fine Arts at the ‘Universidad Autonoma De Salamanca’ for a period of three months. She then proceeded to move to the south of Spain in 2011, where she studied photography for a period of six months, followed by her final move in January 2012 to Berlin. Since Victoria arrived in Berlin she has been working hard in preparation for her first solo exhibition, 21WINDOWS.
Contact: 21 windows project.