In an extensive interview, Spanish sculptor Verónica Mar discusses UNIVERSO in Madrid, her evolution from sculptural furniture to monumental portals, and the relationship between form, space and the invisible.
Verónica Mar: From Nature to Essence
From collectible design to monumental sculpture, the Spanish artist reflects on sacred geometry, material, the power of the void and her retrospective UNIVERSO in Madrid.
For Verónica Mar, a sculpture is never simply an object placed in space. It is a proposition about how that space might be perceived, inhabited and felt. Across almost two decades, the Spanish artist has pursued an increasingly distilled vocabulary: organic curves have given way to abstract gestures, paired forms to circles, and circles to openings that frame the world beyond them.
Born in Granada in 1979 and based in Madrid, Mar studied interior design at EINA and fine art at the University of Barcelona. Her early sculptural furniture, including the Soul Sculpture Bench and Autumn Leaf Swing, established a distinctive conversation between function and form. Exhibitions and collaborations with galleries such as Rossana Orlandi in Milan and Ateliers Courbet in New York brought that vocabulary to an international audience. Her New York solo presentation in 2025 introduced new functional sculptures made with specialist artisans in the Italian Dolomites, while that same year Unity Enzo won the Ciudad de Badajoz Sculpture Prize.
Her exhibition UNIVERSO, at Gärna Gallery in Madrid from 10 September to 12 November 2026, assembles work from different stages of her career. Rather than a simple before-and-after narrative, it reveals recurring concerns: the rhythms of nature, the tension between matter and emptiness, and the ability of a curve or proportion to change one’s experience of a room. The dialogue between collectible design and contemporary sculpture remains unusually direct.
The more spiritual dimension of her practice is equally central. Mar draws on sacred geometry, Feng Shui and Vastu Shastra, understanding these traditions as ways to investigate harmony and the relationship between people and their surroundings. Such ideas form her personal artistic philosophy; they need not be shared by every viewer to provoke questions about perception, scale and spatial experience. Her phrase “Totems of Light” speaks to this aspiration to give the intangible a material presence.
Now her ambitions are becoming architectural. In August 2026, ENSO GATE, a Cor-ten steel work approximately two metres high, was installed at Square Armand Steurs in Brussels for The Art Square. Two five-metre works planned for Paris, along with a major residential commission in Madrid, signal an expanding interest in sculpture as a public or inhabitable experience. For collectors, the shift raises an intimate question as well: what changes when art is no longer simply seen, but lived with?
In this conversation with ARTCOLLECTORNEWS, Mar reflects on the evolution of her language, the significance she finds in geometry and material, the artisans who help realise her forms, and her desire to make space itself part of the work.
In Conversation with Verónica Mar
A Language in Evolution
ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: UNIVERSO brings together almost two decades of your work. Looking at these different periods together, what surprised you most? Do you see a continuous artistic language, or moments when you became a fundamentally different artist?
Verónica Mar: What surprised me most was discovering how deeply everything was connected. When you are immersed in the creative process, you don't always recognise the direction you are moving in. Seeing works from almost twenty years together, I realised that the questions I was asking at the beginning are, in essence, the same ones I am still exploring today. I began by drawing inspiration from nature, and in some of those first pieces you can already see the same forms that appear in works created twenty years later. My aim of reaching the essence of form was also an aim of reaching the essence of matter, energetically speaking.
There has always been a search for harmony, balance and the energetic transformation of space, even when my work was more recognisably inspired by nature, as with the Ginkgo collection or the Leaf swing.
What has changed is the depth of that inquiry. In my early work I was interested in the visible expression of natural forms. Today I am increasingly concerned with the invisible principles that organise them.
For me, UNIVERSO is not simply a retrospective. It is the visual expression of an inner evolution, in which the pieces speak to me about what I need to do in my life to be happy and at peace.
ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: Your early pieces draw visibly on nature, while recent sculptures have become more abstract. What prompted this transition? Was there a moment when you realised you no longer needed to represent nature directly?
Verónica Mar: Nature has always been my great teacher, but over time the way I observe it has changed.
At first I was fascinated by its visible forms: the movement of a leaf, the growth of a tree, the curves of the human body, the spirals and rhythms present throughout the natural world.
Gradually I became more interested in what all those forms have in common. Why do certain proportions appear again and again in nature? What creates the feeling of balance? What remains when we remove everything that is not essential? How can a particular form, with precise measurements, change the energy of a space? I began studying Feng Shui, Vastu Shastra and sacred geometry — traditions that I have studied in relation to sacred architecture across cultures.
Through works such as SOUL and, later, the UNITY series, I began moving away from recognisable references towards a more universal sculptural language, in which I expressed the balance between the two energies present in everything that exists: yin and yang, light and shadow. We all carry both energies within us.
Sacred geometry became especially important in that process. It offered me a way of understanding nature beyond its physical appearance.
I realised I did not need to reproduce nature in order to express its essence. I could work with the principles that give rise to its forms — and, above all, the conviction that a specific measurement can change the energy of a space.
My journey could be described as a movement from the beauty of nature towards the intelligence that resides within it.
ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: Your work moves between collectible design and autonomous sculpture. Do you see them as distinct disciplines? What changes when a sculpture must also function as a chair, table or bench?
Verónica Mar: I have never felt a clear separation between art and design.
My training in interior design taught me to understand space, proportion and the relationship between objects and the human body. Fine Arts gave me greater freedom to explore those relationships beyond function.
When I create a bench or a table, I approach it first as a sculpture. Its functional purpose introduces another dimension into the creative process, but it does not determine the artistic language.
Naturally, there are additional considerations: ergonomics, structural strength, stability and the way the body interacts with the piece.
What interests me is that functionality can create a beautiful intimacy between the person and the sculpture.
We usually observe a sculpture, move around it or experience its presence. With sculptural furniture we can also touch it, sit on it and connect physically with its form.
Both belong to the same artistic universe. They are different ways of establishing a relationship between matter, space and human experience.

ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: Movement recurs throughout your work, even when a sculpture is still. How has your exploration of duality evolved from two independent forms towards the circular compositions that suggest unity?
Verónica Mar: Duality has been one of the central themes of my work.
I have always been fascinated by apparent opposites: light and darkness, movement and stillness, masculine and feminine, matter and void.
In my first sculptures, from 2014, these relationships were often expressed through two lines dancing with each other, capturing moments and forms of that constant balance.
Over time, my understanding evolved. I began drawing the Japanese ensō as a form of meditation, and this drew me ever closer to the circle, to the infinite line that returns upon itself, and to continuous forms.
The circle is especially meaningful because it has no beginning and no end. It allows me to express unity without denying the existence of duality. Movement remains essential, but it is no longer merely a physical suggestion. It becomes a movement of perception, guiding the eye and inviting the mind to follow a continuous path.
I am interested in that instant when two seemingly opposing forces stop competing and become part of a single whole. For me, that is fullness, wisdom — that which holds everything in harmony.

ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: You received the 2025 Ciudad de Badajoz Sculpture Prize for Unity Enzo. What does this work represent in your development, and what new possibilities did it open?
Verónica Mar: Unity Enzo marks a particularly important moment in my artistic evolution, because it brings together many of the ideas I had been exploring for years.
Its form is reduced to a single continuous sculptural gesture. There is no unnecessary element, and yet it contains movement, tension, balance and a profound sense of unity. It is unity born of duality.
For me, it also represents the shift from a sculptural form that rises upwards to a more expansive one.
The central opening carries as much meaning as the matter surrounding it. The sculpture no longer exists solely as an object: it establishes a relationship with what lies beyond and becomes an energetic portal.
Receiving the City of Badajoz Sculpture Prize in 2025 was especially meaningful because it recognised this more circular, expansive and autonomous direction in my work.
It has led me to create works on a larger scale, such as a five-metre monumental sculpture that will be installed in Paris in January 2027.
Geometry and the Invisible
ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: Sacred geometry is fundamental to your practice. Beyond visual harmony, what does it mean to you? How can specific proportions determine the form and placement of a sculpture?
Verónica Mar: For me, sacred geometry is far more than a system of beautiful proportions. It is a way of studying the underlying order of nature and the relationship between form, space and human energetic perception.
Throughout history, geometry has played a fundamental role in architecture, from ancient temples to the cathedrals and sacred buildings of different civilisations.
These structures were not conceived according to aesthetic criteria alone. Proportion, orientation, rhythm and spatial relationships often carried mathematical, symbolic and spiritual meaning.
I am particularly interested in how these principles can be translated into contemporary sculpture.
I work with geometric constructions and relationships, including those associated with the golden ratio, to explore how different proportions shape the character of a form. For monumental sculptures I work with the latitude of the site: from that number, all the other dimensions are generated, the height, the length of the line, the base. Each measurement emits a different energy.
Every place has its own sacred measurements, and by using them you can create that harmony and change how a person feels on entering a space or seeing the piece.
For smaller pieces, or works created before I know where they will be installed, I usually generate them from the sacred geometry of my birthplace, Granada, in Spain. At times I have taken the latitude of places of power, such as Jerusalem, Chartres or the pyramids of Egypt. The energy of that place can be transmitted through those specific dimensions.
These decisions may be subtle, but they are fundamental to the energy of the work.
ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: Growing up in Granada, with the Alhambra as part of your visual world, how did you develop your sensitivity to architecture and space? Which buildings or architects continue to influence you?
Verónica Mar: Growing up in Granada profoundly shaped my sensitivity to architecture and space.
The Alhambra was part of my visual and cultural world long before I understood the mathematics, symbolism or geobiology of its architecture.
What fascinates me about the Alhambra is the extraordinary relationship between geometry, light, water, matter and human scale.
Its architecture creates experiences through proportion and rhythm, but also through silence, shadow and the spaces between its structural elements.
Later, through my studies and my growing interest in sacred geometry, I began to understand these experiences from another perspective.
I was fascinated by the geometric systems used in ancient architecture and by the idea that buildings could be conceived not only as physical structures, but as environments for contemplation and spiritual experience — spaces where you can go to heal, to recharge, to bring out the best in yourself.
Gaudí's architecture has also been important to me, especially his ability to translate the structural intelligence of nature into architectural language. I loved seeing and touching the railings of La Pedrera and its furniture. Art Nouveau was also one of the key references in the creation of my work.
And I feel a deep connection with spaces where light, matter and void enter into silent dialogue. The work of Campo Baeza, Peter Zumthor, James Turrell and Richard Serra has also been key in shaping a body of work that aspires to be timeless.
These influences have taught me that the most powerful architectural experiences do not always arise from what we see, but from what a space allows us to experience.
ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: What first attracted you to the ensō, the Zen circular gesture? How did its symbolism evolve into the physical threshold of your portal sculptures?
Verónica Mar: I have always been drawn to the circle for its simplicity and universality.
It appears in nature and across cultures as a symbol of continuity, unity and infinity.
Discovering the ensō added another dimension to this fascination.
In Zen Buddhism, the ensō is traditionally drawn as a spontaneous gesture, often in a single stroke. It can express ideas of enlightenment, wisdom, fullness, freedom, emptiness…
What resonates with me most is the idea that a simple form can hold something infinitely complex.
In my work, the circle gradually evolved from a symbolic representation of unity into a physical threshold — an energetic portal.
Through the portal sculptures, I began exploring what happens when viewers can look through a form, walk around it or even pass through it.
The circle is no longer just something to contemplate. It becomes an invitation to experience space differently.
I deeply value the Japanese sensitivity to emptiness, restraint and the expressive power of a single gesture.
My interpretation, however, is personal. It brings those philosophical references together with my research into sacred geometry, energy, movement and the relationship between matter and space.

ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: In ENSO GATE, the opening is as significant as the steel around it. How do you approach the relationship between material and void? Can absence become a sculpture’s most expressive element?
Verónica Mar: Absolutely. In fact, I increasingly feel that the void is the true protagonist of many of my sculptures.
In traditional sculpture we tend to focus on matter: its volume, surface, texture and physical presence.
My recent work invites us to consider what is not materially present.
The void is not simply an absence. It lets light through, frames the landscape, connects different spaces and changes continually with the viewer's position.
In an energetic portal sculpture, matter defines the threshold, but the experience takes place through the opening.
I am fascinated by this apparent paradox: we use matter to give presence to the void.
There is a beautiful connection here with Taoist philosophy, particularly the idea that the usefulness of a vessel lies in the empty space within it.
For me, this is also a metaphor for life. We often focus on what is visible and tangible, overlooking the importance of what exists between things.
Sometimes the most essential part of a sculpture is precisely what has been left open.
ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: Your practice incorporates ideas from Feng Shui, Vastu Shastra and spatial harmonisation. How do these different traditions enter your process, particularly in decisions about orientation, light, dimensions and placement?
Verónica Mar: I approach these traditions with deep respect for their different cultural origins, while recognising that they share an interest in the relationship between human beings and the spaces they inhabit.
Studying Feng Shui, Vastu Shastra and geobiology has broadened my understanding of sculpture and architecture — above all, it has shown me the similarities and coincidences in how all ancestral cultures built.
For me, creating a work is not only about defining its form. It also means considering how it relates to its surroundings and what it awakens in the person who sees and feels it.
Depending on the project, I may study orientation, natural light, circulation, proportions and the relationship between the sculpture and its surroundings.
I am also interested in traditional geometric systems and the symbolic qualities associated with particular proportions and directions.
In a site-specific commission, these considerations can influence the dimensions, placement and orientation of the sculpture.
Some decisions are immediately visible. Others remain hidden within the creative process.
My intention is to bring together artistic intuition, geometric understanding and sensitivity to the atmosphere of a place.
I understand energetic harmonisation as part of my personal artistic and spiritual practice.
ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: You describe your works as “Totems of Light”. How do you balance your intentions as an artist with the fact that viewers may experience the same sculpture very differently? Must they share your spiritual outlook?
Verónica Mar: I believe art should remain open to individual interpretation.
When I describe my sculptures as Totems of Light, I am expressing an intention that is part of my creative process.
For me, light is both a physical and a symbolic presence. It represents consciousness, openness, transformation and the possibility of seeing beyond appearances.
I work with these ideas through form, proportion, matter and space. I don't expect the viewer to understand or share every aspect of my philosophy — but they will inevitably feel it.
One person may experience the sculpture simply as a beautiful form. Another may feel calm, curiosity or connection. Someone else may discover something entirely different.
I believe the most meaningful works of art allow each person to establish their own relationship with them.
My role as an artist is to create the conditions for that encounter, not to dictate what someone should feel.
If a sculpture invites us to pause, observe and become more aware of the space around us, I already consider that a beautiful beginning.
ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: Do you feel a particular affinity with artists who have approached the intangible through abstraction, from Hilma af Klint and Brancusi to Serra, Kapoor and Turrell? Where does your practice diverge?
Verónica Mar: I feel a particularly strong connection with artists who have explored dimensions of reality that are not immediately visible.
Hilma af Klint is especially meaningful to me because she understood abstraction as a language through which to explore spiritual and universal principles. I admire the courage and independence of her research, above all given the era in which she lived.
My relationship with spirituality is different, but I recognise a shared desire to give form to the intangible.
I have also been deeply influenced by Constantin Brancusi and his pursuit of essence through the simplification of form.
Richard Serra has been important in understanding how sculpture can transform our physical experience of space, while Anish Kapoor's exploration of void, matter and perception has opened fascinating possibilities.
James Turrell and Olafur Eliasson have also influenced the way I think about light and the experience of an environment.
What perhaps distinguishes my approach is the combination of these concerns with sacred geometry and my practice of spatial harmonisation.
I am interested not only in how a sculpture looks or how we perceive it, but also in the relationship it establishes with the place it inhabits.
My work arises from a desire to unite artistic expression, the intelligence of natural forms and a personal understanding of energy and space.
Matter, Materials and Making
ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: Your sculptures often seem fluid and weightless even when made from marble, bronze or steel. How do different materials change your sense of form, movement and permanence?
Verónica Mar: I love working with materials that seem to contradict the forms I create.
There is something fascinating about transforming a heavy block of marble into a sculpture that appears to twist effortlessly, or giving steel the appearance of a fluid gesture.
For me, that tension between physical weight and visual lightness is part of the poetry of sculpture.
I don't try to deny the nature of the material. I want to reveal possibilities we might not expect to find in it.
Wood taught me a great deal about organic movement and continuity, because its grain holds the story of its natural growth.
Marble introduced another relationship with time, permanence and precision. It demands a particular sensitivity, because every decision is irreversible.
Steel has given me the freedom to explore ever more monumental forms, in which mass, balance and void can coexist on an architectural scale.
Each material has expanded my artistic language.
What interests me most is the moment when physical substance seems to transcend its own limitations. Each material also brings its own intrinsic energy. Marble, for instance, never ceases to amaze me: every texture, vein and colour has been forming over millions of years.

ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: At your 2025 Ateliers Courbet exhibition in New York, you introduced works made with specialist woodworkers in the Dolomites. How does a sculpture develop from the first idea to its final form, and how much do the craftspeople influence the result?
Verónica Mar: My creative process usually begins with an intuition, a movement or a geometric relationship I want to explore.
I develop the idea through drawings, studies and three-dimensional computer models until the form begins to express what I am searching for.
At that point, the dialogue with materials and craftsmanship becomes essential.
I have immense respect for the artisans I work with. Their knowledge of wood, stone, metal and traditional techniques comes from years — sometimes generations — of experience.
They bring a knowledge that cannot be replaced by technology or theory alone.
Working with specialist artisans in the Italian Dolomites, for example, has allowed me to explore the possibilities and limits of wood, and with artisans in Almería, in Spain, the excellence of stone, in ways that enrich the creative process.
The artistic vision and the formal language remain mine, but making a sculpture is a continuous dialogue: they are the experts in each material. I learn how far I can go with each of them by visiting and being with them throughout the production of every piece.
Sometimes a technical challenge reveals an unexpected possibility. At other times, the material itself suggests a refinement.
I believe this exchange is fundamental.
A sculpture is not simply an idea translated into matter. It is an encounter between artistic vision, material intelligence and human knowledge.
ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: Wood records its growth, marble carries geological time, and weathering steel changes outdoors. How much do you allow the character and history of a material to guide the work?
Verónica Mar: I believe every material has its own memory.
When I work with wood from centuries-old trees, I am aware that the material has lived a whole history long before becoming part of my work.
Its grain, density, colour and knots tell the story of its growth.
Stone holds another notion of time. Marble has formed through geological processes lasting millions of years, and its veins reveal movements and transformations that are almost impossible for us to comprehend.
Cor-ten steel is especially interesting because it keeps evolving. Its surface responds to atmospheric conditions and develops a patina that becomes part of the sculpture's life.
I try to respect these qualities rather than erase them.
Of course, I start from a clear artistic intention, but I believe the material must be allowed to take part in the process.
Sometimes its natural characteristics become an essential part of the composition. In other cases, as with my Soul Sculpture, the design varies depending on whether it is made in Cor-ten steel, solid wood or marble, yet it keeps the same essence.
There is something profoundly beautiful about creating contemporary forms from materials that hold such different expressions of time.
In a sense, I am giving new form to something that already has a history and an energy of its own.
ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: You speak about distilling sculpture to its essence. How do you know when a form is finished, and when taking something away would weaken it?
Verónica Mar: Simplicity and essential form are among the hardest things to achieve.
A complex form can contain many elements that attract our attention, but once you begin removing them, every remaining line becomes fundamental.
There is nowhere left to hide.
My creative process often involves eliminating everything that does not contribute to the movement or essential meaning of the sculpture.
I work until I reach a point where the relationships between form, proportion, mass and void feel complete.
There is an intuitive moment when I recognise that the work has found its balance.
Removing anything more would weaken that relationship.
I admire Brancusi's understanding of simplicity as the result of profound distillation, not as an absence of complexity.
For me, a sculpture is finished when it needs nothing added and nothing can be taken away without losing its essence.
The Monumental Turn
ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: ENSO GATE was installed in Brussels for The Art Square in 2026. What changed when the work entered a public setting, beyond the relative control of the gallery?
Verónica Mar: Presenting ENSO GATE in Brussels was an important moment because it allowed the sculpture to enter into dialogue with a broader architectural and public setting. The piece was originally intended to be five metres high, but we ultimately chose to reduce its scale.
In an exhibition space, the environment is relatively controlled. In a public place, the work becomes part of everyday life.
The light changes throughout the day, people approach from different directions and the surrounding architecture becomes part of the composition.
What particularly interests me is how each person discovers the work through movement, air and weather.
From one angle, the sculpture may appear as a strong, almost graphic form. From another, its opening frames an entirely different perspective.
The relationship between the body, the sculpture and the surrounding space becomes far more evident.
For me, this reinforces the idea that monumental sculpture is not simply a larger object.
It is an experience that unfolds through the viewer's presence and movement.

ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: How have engineering, foundations, weather, fabrication and public interaction changed your creative process as you have moved towards monumental work?
Verónica Mar: Working at monumental scale has introduced an entirely new level of complexity into my practice.
A sculptural gesture that looks simple in a small model can become an extraordinary engineering challenge when translated into several metres of steel or another massive material.
Structural stability, foundations, wind loads, fabrication processes, transport and installation all become fundamental considerations.
This requires close collaboration with highly specialised engineers, architects and fabricators.
I find the process fascinating because it brings artistic intuition into dialogue with technical precision.
But the most important transformation is conceptual.
At monumental scale, sculpture establishes a direct relationship with the human body and the surrounding architecture.
The viewer no longer experiences it only from the outside. The work can create a threshold, define a space or alter our perception of a landscape.
This opens possibilities that simply don't exist at a smaller scale. There are sculptures that overwhelm through their sheer size.
I am increasingly interested in sculpture as an architectural presence, capable of creating meaningful places.

ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: You are developing two monumental sculptures in Paris and a commission for a residence in Madrid. What can you tell us about the projects, and how does your approach differ between public and private settings?
Verónica Mar: I am currently developing several monumental projects, including two five-metre sculptures for an architectural development in Paris.
These works continue my exploration of unity, movement and the relationship between matter and empty space.
I am particularly interested in their permanent integration into an environment where people will encounter them as part of their daily lives. Each piece becomes an emblem.
In Madrid, I am also working on a monumental commission — a sculpture four metres in height and diameter — for a private residential setting, where the relationship between sculpture, architecture and landscape becomes more intimate.
The approach to each project is quite different.
In a private residence, I can explore a more personal dialogue with the architecture, the proportions of the space and the way its inhabitants experience it over time. This piece is made in mirror-polished stainless steel.
In a public setting, the sculpture must respond to a far wider range of perspectives and interactions. The two Paris sculptures, each five metres high, are in Cor-ten steel, and their finish will continue to transform day by day.
My underlying intention remains the same: to create a sculptural presence that belongs to its surroundings and establishes a meaningful relationship with those who experience it — to create energetic portals that harmonise the place.

ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: If you could make a monumental work anywhere, with no practical constraints, what kind of place would you choose—and what would you want people to experience there?
Verónica Mar: I think I would choose a place where nature and architecture could enter into meaningful dialogue.
Perhaps a wide, open landscape facing the sea, where the horizon became part of the sculpture.
The sea has always been especially important to me. Its movement, its reflections and its constant transformation are closely tied to my understanding of life and form.
I imagine a monumental sculpture creating a threshold between land, sea and sky.
A place where the work does not compete with its surroundings, but helps us become more aware of them.
I would love to see how the sculpture changes throughout the day, how shadows move across the ground and how the landscape is framed by its openings.
Ideally, it would be a place where people naturally slow down.
I don't dream of creating a monument simply to be seen from afar.
I would love to create an inhabitable space — a place of contemplation, silence and connection.

Living with Sculpture
ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: For collectors living with art, what can sculpture contribute to a home that a two-dimensional work cannot? What do you notice first when considering a placement?
Verónica Mar: Sculpture has an especially intimate relationship with architecture because it shares the same physical space as we do.
A painting creates a visual experience within a defined surface. A sculpture establishes a three-dimensional presence that changes with our position, the movement of light and the surrounding architecture.
We experience it with our whole body.
When I visit a residence for the first time, I pay attention to far more than the dimensions of the rooms.
I observe the natural light, the architectural proportions, the circulation between spaces and the relationship between inside and outside.
I also want to understand how the people who live there experience their home.
A sculpture should never feel like an object that has simply been placed in an empty corner.
I want it to establish a natural dialogue with its surroundings.
Sometimes the most powerful location is not the most obvious one. It might be a transitional space, a quiet vista or a place where the light changes throughout the day.
For me, living with art means developing a relationship with something that continues to reveal itself over time — and with sculpture that relationship is even closer, because the person can feel it, touch it and become part of the work.
ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: How do you reconcile artistic independence with a collector’s vision in a commission? What should collectors understand about editions, provenance, materials and long-term care?
Verónica Mar: I see a commission as a dialogue between the collector's vision, the architectural context and my own artistic language.
Understanding the person who will live with the work is important, especially when creating a unique sculpture for a specific setting.
But I also believe artistic independence is essential.
A meaningful commission should not simply reproduce the client's expectations. It must bring something unexpected — something that can only emerge from the artist's vision.
When collectors acquire my work, I want them to understand both its conceptual origins and the extraordinary craftsmanship involved in its creation.
Authorship, provenance and the distinction between unique works and limited editions are fundamental.
Every work is signed and accompanied by the corresponding documentation, including edition details where applicable.
Materials are equally important. Natural stone, solid wood, bronze and Cor-ten steel each have distinct characteristics, and their surfaces may evolve over time.
Understanding those qualities is part of understanding the work itself, as is following the appropriate conservation guidance.
Ultimately, I hope collectors will see these pieces not simply as acquisitions, but as works of art that will form a lasting relationship with their lives and their spaces.
Towards Essence
ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: After almost twenty years of working towards the essence of form, what remains unresolved? Where do you hope your exploration of sculpture, architecture and space will go next?
Verónica Mar: I feel I am only beginning to understand the possibilities of what I am searching for.
For almost twenty years I have explored the relationship between nature, essential form, movement and balance, grounded in sacred measurements.
Today I am increasingly interested in what happens when sculpture becomes more than an object — when it transforms into an environment or an experience.
I would love to explore creating spaces conceived entirely through geometric proportion, light, matter and the relationship between the human body and architecture.
Places where sculpture and architecture become inseparable.
My interest in sacred geometry and energetic harmonisation keeps opening new questions about how we perceive and inhabit our surroundings.
I don't think I will ever reach a definitive answer, and perhaps that is the most beautiful part of being an artist.
Every work reveals something, but it also leads to a new question.
If the first part of my career was about giving form to nature, and the second about discovering its essence, perhaps the next will be about allowing that essence to become a space we can enter and experience — a place to rest and be at peace.
I am increasingly interested in what sculpture makes possible.
From collectible design to monumental sculpture, the Spanish artist reflects on sacred geometry, material, the power of the void and her retrospective UNIVERSO in Madrid.
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