Wildish Gambit
Roberta’s connection with the En Classe Foundation
Roberta Marroquin and Sylvia van den Brink met in Monterrey, Mexico in 2016. Roberta, artist and photographer, Sylvia, founder and president of the En Classe Foundation, both motivated by their willingness to help others, had an immediate connection that in a short time has turned into a great friendship full of respect and admiration for their respective work. Soon, Roberta was moved by the great mission of En Classe and together with Sylvia they began to think about how to create a project to help the foundation.
In March 2018, Roberta joined Sylvia on a trip to Kinshasa to document the work of En Classe and Roberta was so touched by this work and the students that the idea of the exposition was born.
Roberta’s quote after his first visit to Kinshasa: “Sylvia and her foundation have taught me that we all need hope, hope does not extinguish suffering, but maintains the belief that there may be an end. Maybe not in your own lifetime but then in the future. “
Changing the future through education
The ability to imagine an ideal world is intrinsic to the cognitive capacity of each human being. However, what for some may be a pleasant journey, to others becomes a way to escape a harrowing reality.
En Classe began in 2007 and established a presence in the Congo; one of the poorest countries in the world. With the goal of improving the quality of education for children, to date more than 16,000 students have attended class and 111 classrooms have been renovated.
The work has been challenging yet satisfying. Today, we are here to celebrate all we have accomplished but more than anything to join efforts and ensure all of these children can continue to dream and believe that dreams can become reality.
Art Statement
What is reality? What truly exists? With these two questions as a starting point, we can travel the parallel universes that Roberta Marroquin shows us with each image in WILDISH GAMBIT.
To venture to a distant world, far from any logic or reality, is the fundamental narrative in this series of images. A daring juxtaposition of elements wandering among themselves create new contexts that challenge our reasoning.
This is precisely where Roberta wants to take us. Each image is an invitation, defying us to slip into a surreal world. A world dominated by flora and fauna splendidly manifest and unwavering, even in the presence of humans.
Children are the main element in WILDISH GAMBIT. Their honest and magnetic gaze opens up like a hypnotic bridge, impossible to avoid. Their presence, sometimes magnanimous, at time barely noticeable interweave with the image. This presence indulges us into a surreal world fill with elements that interact with one another in an irrational manner.
We arrive at a deep connection between the spectator and the image. This connection is like a magical story where innocence and curiosity are the common threads. Each piece is a tribute to the creative capability of children. The angst to create and discover the world gradually begins to take-on meaning.
