Draft:Sara Ferrer

Sara Ferrer is a Spanish visual artist born in Madrid in 1979 and based in Berlin since 2012. Her works mainly explore themes of identity, memory, consciousness and subconscious in human interactions with water.

Early Life and Education
Sara developed a deep affinity for water from an early age, finding solace and refuge in swimming due to various health issues during her childhood. At the age of six, under medical recommendations, Sara moved to the Mediterranean coast, where she continued in swimming classes and found in the beach environment a comfortable place amidst challenging family dynamics. After a few years, she returned to Madrid and during adolescence, Sara began her artistic studies. She also engaged in voluntary artistic projects in Sicily with the ECOART organization and the west coast of France.

Career
In 2000, Sara embarked on a journey to South Shields, England, where she dedicated six months to various social projects using art as a medium for community engagement. The volunteer work she engaged in was acknowledged by local authorities, marking a pivotal moment in her artistic career and instilling a sense of social responsibility in her practice.

Continuing her artistic pursuits, Sara returned to Newcastle, England, to study Fine Arts. She also worked as a performer within the Theater Company NWSI and simultaneously pioneered her own teaching project, Multiculturart. This project, which combined art and theater for language education, received a grant from the British Council.

Back to Madrid in 2005, she completed her studies at La Palma School of Art and Design n°1 and El Centro de Tecnología del Espectáculo in Madrid. During this time, she continued to work in various theaters, as a props master and stagehand in diverse venues such as El Teatro Real in Madrid, Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia, CNTC and Teatro de La Zarzuela, this experiences influenced Ferrer's artistic vision in creating connected narratives through everyday objects. Sara then relocated to Malta in 2011 before ultimately settling in Berlin in 2012 where she continues to live and work today.

In Berlin, Sara has established herself as an independent artist and collaborated with artists such as Ivana Franke, Tue Greenfort, Tomas Saraceno, and Alvaro Urbano in their artistic productions..

In recent years, Sara dedicates her work to the ocean due to her connection to the sea nurtured since childhood, and her first experiences breathing underwater. Her deep interest has led her to undertake training as a diving instructor. By embracing the dual roles of artist and diving instructor, Sara seeks to integrate art with environmental advocacy, utilizing her creative platform to raise awareness of the significant importance of ocean preservation.

Artistic Style and Impact
Sara's work is characterized by its multidisciplinary approach, often incorporating elements of sculpture, installation, photography, and video art. Her pieces explore the complex interplay between personal experience and universal themes, inviting viewers to contemplate their own relationships with identity, memory, and the natural world.

Exhibitions and Recognition
Sara's work has been exhibited in galleries, artistic spaces, and museums across Europe, Asia, and Latin America, including the Museum of Art Pudong  in Shanghai with the Territories of Water Exhibition co-organized by the musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac and the Fondation François Schneider, the Travessa da Ermida Contemporary Art Center in Lisbon , the Fondation François Schneider in France, among other galleries and cultural centers. Her strong interest in the sea and commitment to fostering ocean awareness has motivated her to explore inventive projects that combine art and diving, including her ongoing initiative Creative Divers.

Sara has been honored with various awards for her contributions to the arts, such as the Aurelio Blanco Prize for her studies at La Palma School of Art and Design n°1 in Madrid. Additionally, in 2019, she was recognized as one of the recipients of the VII Edition of the Contemporary Talents Award by the François Schneider Foundation of France.

Press and publications
Sara Ferrer's work was featured in the Ground Up Publication “On Ward"  from the University of California, Berkeley , The Contemporary Talents Awards Catalog , The Unblock Catalog , among others.  She was interviewed by Marie Terrieux, Director of the François Schneider Foundation, The Pudong Museum of Art, and Art Fuse.