Ariela Feinzaig: Ether before time

Published on 2 May 2025

Ariela Feinzaig explores migration as a cyclical process of transformation, traversed by the feminine, the ancestral, and the sensory.

Talentum Gallery Calle 11, Avenue 9-11, Otoya Neighborhood – San José.

From April 2nd to May 31st, 2025

Artist Ariela Feinzaig presents Ether Before Time, a project that addresses migrant identity as a process of constant transformation, from a deeply feminine perspective influenced by her Mesoamerican and Jewish roots. This proposal not only examines migration as geographical displacement, but as a life experience that intertwines the physical, spiritual, and symbolic.

Femininity as a cycle of transformation

Rather than conceiving migration as a linear journey with a defined starting point and destination, Feinzaig proposes a cyclical view inspired by female consciousness. In her work, femininity manifests itself as a force that recognizes the internal rhythms and changing nature of existence. This vision transforms the act of migrating into a continuous process of self-exploration, in which the sense of belonging and personal identity are constantly reconfigured.

‘Ether Before Time’ becomes a reflection on displacement, not only physical, but also generational and spiritual. Feinzaig suggests that finding a place in the world—whether real or imagined—involves a profound search for self-knowledge and self-realization. That “place” may not exist in the present or in the material world, but rather in the intimate desire to belong, to recognize oneself in the midst of movement.

The exhibition unfolds as a circular journey, where time and space fold together to give rise to sensory experiences that go beyond the visual. She integrates materials and sounds from the cultures that make up her identity: clay is transformed into sculptures and plaques, while instruments such as the shofar, the oud, and the marimba evoke ancestral soundscapes that interact with the exhibition space.

Through this multisensory proposal, Feinzaig invites the public in an intimate and collective journey that questions the limits of belonging, memory, and home. “Ether Before Time” is not just an exhibition: it is an experience that resonates with the history of those who have migrated, but also with those who seek, within themselves, a place to live.

Sensorial Sunsets