Reconstruction is a hybrid project that merges production, exhibition, and documentation into a single, evolving process. Curated by Sara Catalán Colorio and filmed by Josechu Tercero, the project revolves around the large-scale installation Composition with Stuffed Animals’ Remains IV (Cell) — a circular structure composed of twelve canvases sewn from the dismembered remains of hundreds of stuffed toys.The title Reconstruction refers to the project’s cyclical nature: first, the act of deconstructing and reassembling the toys, transforming objects of childhood comfort into a new, fragmented skin; then, the repeated building and dismantling of the “cell” itself in different art spaces. Conceived during the aftermath of the pandemic, the work became a metaphor for collective and individual resilience—an artwork that rebuilds itself each time, adapting to new spaces and circumstances.
In an era of social distancing, Reconstruction also questioned traditional exhibition formats. Instead of a conventional opening, Rey proposed a visible process: a piece that unfolded live in front of the camera, streamed online and later documented in film. This shifting relationship between presence and mediation became integral to the work’s meaning, extending its existence beyond the physical installation.
As curator Sara Catalán observes, Reconstruction reflects on the paradigm shift of our time: a move toward open, flexible models of creation rooted in collaboration and uncertainty. The project invites viewers to witness transformation as a constant — to imagine, collectively, new ways of making and inhabiting art after disruption.Through this ongoing cycle of deconstruction, adaptation, and rebirth, Nathalie Rey explores fragility as a generative force. Reconstruction stands as both a material and metaphorical experiment on survival, resilience, and the human capacity to rebuild meaning from fragments.
Editing Josechu Tercero, MP4, 1920 x 1080 px, 31min02, 2023