Sistema de Defesa de Mim Mesma: Mariana Sissia

The artist constructs a conceptual system through a series of drawings devised as a means of self-defense. These are representations of shelters, trenches, and desolate spaces that serve as translations of behaviors rooted in a real system—one in which Mariana senses and believes that the other may cause her harm. The other becomes a projection of the artist’s own perceptions, creating a reflective game of defense.

This defensive system is decontextualized in order to be observed in isolation, allowing for a deeper search for meaning. The result is a display of hiding places chosen by her discomfort. These are impossible scenes, worn down by time, seemingly on the verge of collapse—rendering them uninhabited and uninhabitable.

Mariana Sissia (Ramallo, Buenos Aires, 1980)
Lives and works in Buenos Aires. She began her studies at age eight through various workshops. She holds a degree in Painting from the National University of Rosario, Argentina, and is currently preparing her master’s thesis.

She has participated in artist workshops with Andrea Ostera, Graciela Carnevale, Mauro Machado, and Ernesto Ballesteros. Mariana was selected for the CURRICULUM 0 program (Ruth Benzacar Gallery, Buenos Aires, 2009). At the arteBA ‘10 art fair, she won the Ñ Magazine prize from Clarin newspaper.