Paulina Freifeld’s Exploration of Memory, Identity, and Survival in Peso Del Peligro

Marking her first solo exhibition and Concordia Studio's first exhibition in Mexico City, Paulina Freifeld's Peso Del Peligro is full of firsts. On view until February 28, 2025, at Mexico City’s Art Week, the exhibition weaves themes of extinction survival, and displacement into a deeply introspective narrative of cultural and environmental memory.

At the heart of the exhibition is Freifeld’s profoundly personal exploration of family history and heritage. As a Mexican-American, and daughter of a family of refugees of European descent, Freifeld takes photographs taken by her great-grandfather and grandfather in Mexico and recontextualizes their contents through mixed media and painting. Primarily depicting daily life, the images serve as a personal record of cultural assimilation, a loss of culture as one adapts to their new environment. Deepening the narrative further, Freifeld invites viewers to experience the fluidity of time and space, evoking a sense of cultural and ecological dissonance resonating across generations.

Now based in New York City, Freifeld has gained recognition for her multidisciplinary approach, seamlessly integrating ecological activism with explorations of identity and lineage. Peso Del Peligro expands on these themes, urging audiences to reflect on the fragility of cultural and environmental legacies while underscoring the pressing need for preservation.

“Just as my family had to recontextualize and adapt to a completely new environment—specifically, in the context of this exhibition, México—the animals and ecosystems represented in this body of work are being forced to adapt to deteriorating environmental conditions due to political and social circumstances,” shares Freifeld with art currently.

Showcased in an old Nissan warehouse under renovation, the exhibition space perfectly builds on Freifeld’s message surrounding renewal and decay in the natural world. At the heart of the space is a striking bullseye window designed by multidisciplinary Mexican artist Pedro Reyes, an Arte Povera-inspired renovation, led by architectural studio BATLLE + sig. A connection to the city even under isolation.

“In parallel with the renovation and recreation of the car warehouse, the work in this exhibition remains an ongoing process. As one walks through the exhibit, it is easy to see how each piece evolves from start to finish, whether an oil painting or a lightbox. It’s important to remember that things are always fluctuating and changing—and that we play a role in their evolution.”

Rather than engaging in large-scale projects that could contribute to environmental degradation, Freifeld opts for small-scale works layered onto canvas, enhanced by light boxes, celebrating six key ecosystems. Her work challenges the fine line between glorification and exploitation in nature, emphasizing reverence for the delicate balance of sustaining cultural heritage and the natural world.