“disco grid
(don’t stop til you get enough)”
:Artist Statement:
Disco Grid (Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough) is best viewed with flash from your phone or camera! Direct light makes the piece shine and glow in a vibrant rainbow of colors. This installation, composed of hand-ruffled iridescent upcycled scrap fabric, upcycled disco balls, crumpled tin-foil disco balls, and safety pins has been a fun extension of my fiber art practice into cultivating space as an art form. Take a seat and enjoy the films in this disco-themed living room-inspired installation.
My art practice is fully sustainable and zero waste, with this piece being no exception. Disco Grid upon deinstallation will be deconstructed to become one of a kind clothing and accessories available for purchase.
Disco Grid is my second installation ever (after my first installation last week at Vizcaya Museum) and was an incredible learning experience! I look forward to continuing exploring this new avenue in my art practice.
The monstera leaf, with its distinctive silhouette and lush greenery, serves as a visual metaphor for the diverse threads of my identity. It represents my Colombian heritage, while also embodying the resilience and adaptability required when two cultures merge.
In my art, I seek to capture the moment when two entities come together.
Whether it’s the collision of cultures, ideas, or emotions, this intersection becomes a catalyst for growth and transformation. The monstera leaf serves as a bridge, symbolizing the meeting point where different aspects find harmony and create something entirely new.
:Bio:
Pangea Kali Virga was born and raised in New York and lives and works in Miami, Florida. Social responsibility is pivotal to her art, as she attempts to communicate urgent, difficult messages in beautiful and fun ways through narrative layered fiber art works, murals, and collages, dramatic experiential art and performance, free and public sustainable art and skills workshops, and other collaborative projects with public and private community and arts institutions. Pangea has dedicated herself to helping transform the art and fashion industry to be a more sustainable and equitable one, creating art and wearables out of upcycled materials using zero waste practices, supporting her belief in the power of clothing as storyteller, cultural marker, and political catalyst. Outside of her core practice, Kali Virga is a sustainability advocate and lecturer, curator, educator and mentor to many members of the public including emerging student artists of all ages. She has found great comfort and liberation through art, fashion, and nature and the work she creates is made in hopes of extending those experiences to the viewer and wearer.
pangeakalivirga.com
instagram: @pangeakalivirga
Q/A:
Q: Can you introduce yourself for our readers?
Pangea: I’m Pangea, Colley Verga, a fiber artist and sustainability advocate based in Miami.
Q: What inspired your participation in the Chroma Art Festival, and could you describe the 3D world you’re creating for it?
Pangea: The festival and my love for textiles and community programming brought it all together. The piece I’m working on is a grid room made from upcycled ruffles rescued from Rainbow Oasis and repurposed. It’s a collaborative, sustainable effort.
Q: Could you tell us more about the materials used in your installation?
Pangea: The installation incorporates holographic, iridescent handmade ruffles, disco balls, tinfoil disco balls, and various lighting elements. The result is a somewhat trippy living room experience.
Q: As an artist, how do you balance sustainability and your creative process?
Pangea: Sustainability is integral to a healthy artist community. Artists sharing excess materials with each other is vital. For this project, using rescued ruffles is a prime example of sustainable creativity.
Q: Transitioning to the Chroma Art Festival, what challenges and breakthroughs have you faced as an immersive installation artist?
Pangea: Thinking about art in the context of space has been a challenge. This project required me to work with power tools, which isn’t typical for me. Overcoming these challenges was rewarding.
Q: How do you see the Chroma Art Festival shaping the contemporary art scene, and what are your hopes for its future?
Pangea: The festival showcases contemporary art in the moment, which is often overlooked in the arts industry. I believe people will be captivated by the films and the art, reflecting the present. I’m excited to see it evolve.
Q: What are your thoughts on your role as a flagship artist and mentor for the festival’s next generation?
Pangea: I see my role as helping shape the future of the festival. I’m eager to mentor emerging artists, sharing insights on formatting, space, and sustainability, and helping them evolve in the vibrant art world.
Q: Finally, how has your experience been working with Haiiileen and the Chroma Art Festival team?
Pangea: It’s been a fantastic experience. Haiiileen has set a stage for success, and the festival is poised to captivate audiences. I’m grateful for the opportunity to be part of this exciting event.
Q: Thank you for sharing your insights with us, Pangea. We look forward to experiencing your immersive installation at the Chroma Art Festival!
Pangea: Thank you for having me. I’m excited to share my work with everyone at the festival.