LIGHT CYCLES with Maria Vera Van Embden Andres
LIGHT CYCLES with Maria Vera Van Embden Andres
22 January 2026 - 26 January 2026
88 Gallery
86-88 Pimlico Road
London SW1W 8PL
United Kingdom
This show launches a new collection of kinetic light sculptures by Maria Vera Van Embden Andres; five pieces that explore change through evolving fields of light and movement. They will be accompanied by a soundscape created for the event by the vocal artist Loulou Elisabettie. The artist will be present to answer any questions you may have, and drinks will be served.
A London-based artist, Maria Vera creates kinetic light-sculptures using lenses and refraction to transcend the physical. Her process is intuitive; a dance between the mathematical world of physics and the intimate, subjective world of perceptual experience. As a creative engineer with a background in Architectural Engineering, Maria has developed and produced light and kinetic installations internationally. Her contributions to studios such as DRIFT, Field, and Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, on projects for clients including Therme Art, Edition Hotel, BMW, and The Guggenheim have shaped her career and deepened her understanding of how light, movement, and human perception interact at scale. Recently, she has moved away from a technology-driven approach, turning instead towards a more receptive integration of natural forces; using gravity, airflow and light refraction as her core materials. Catharsis, for example, one of the pieces to be displayed, is a kinetic light installation composed of three suspended elements that respond to natural airflow, projecting a continuously shifting, never-repeating composition of colour and light onto the wall. The work evokes moments of transformation when structure decomposes into liquid, or liquid vaporises into air. This is a piece that takes you on a journey through states of dissolution and renewal, to something entirely new.
The pieces to be displayed alongside Catharsis are: The Empress, Adrift, Confessions and Like Fire. Further information about these pieces, and videos of them in action, are available in the sculptures section of our website.
A London-based artist, Maria Vera creates kinetic light-sculptures using lenses and refraction to transcend the physical. Her process is intuitive; a dance between the mathematical world of physics and the intimate, subjective world of perceptual experience. As a creative engineer with a background in Architectural Engineering, Maria has developed and produced light and kinetic installations internationally. Her contributions to studios such as DRIFT, Field, and Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, on projects for clients including Therme Art, Edition Hotel, BMW, and The Guggenheim have shaped her career and deepened her understanding of how light, movement, and human perception interact at scale. Recently, she has moved away from a technology-driven approach, turning instead towards a more receptive integration of natural forces; using gravity, airflow and light refraction as her core materials. Catharsis, for example, one of the pieces to be displayed, is a kinetic light installation composed of three suspended elements that respond to natural airflow, projecting a continuously shifting, never-repeating composition of colour and light onto the wall. The work evokes moments of transformation when structure decomposes into liquid, or liquid vaporises into air. This is a piece that takes you on a journey through states of dissolution and renewal, to something entirely new.
The pieces to be displayed alongside Catharsis are: The Empress, Adrift, Confessions and Like Fire. Further information about these pieces, and videos of them in action, are available in the sculptures section of our website.
